OC Man Pleads Not Guilty To Passport Fraud In ISIS Case

SANTA ANA (CBSLA.com) — An Orange man Monday pleaded not guilty to federal charges after he was caught trying to board a plane using a fraudulent passport in an effort to the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, or ISIS.

Adam Dandach, 20, was indicted Wednesday on charges of making a false statement on a passport application and use of a passport obtained through a false statement.

Dandach was detained and questioned by the FBI on July 2 when he attempted to board a flight at John Wayne International Airport to Turkey.

He was arrested at his Orange home the following day.

According to court documents, Dandach "was traveling to Syria for the purpose of pledging his alliance to the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, ISIS, a known terrorist organization, that he would assist ISIS with anything that ISIS asked him to do, and that he believed the killings of U.S. soldiers are justified killings."

Dandach had applied for an expedited replacement passport in June, stating in the application that he had accidentally thrown the original in the trash while cleaning.

Authorities said his mother actually hid the original passport in a closet to stop him from flying to the Middle East in December.

Dandach remains in federal custody without bail and is due back in court on Aug. 25.

He faces five years in federal prison if convicted of passport fraud.