Virginia teen gets more than 11 years for supporting ISIS
A Virginia teenager who admitted to using social media to raise money and support for the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), has been sentenced to 136 months in prison and a lifetime of supervised release.
Ali Amin, 17, of Manassas, Virginia, is believed to be the youngest person successfully prosecuted under the material support law. The Justice Department had asked the judge to impose the maximum 15-year sentence, but Amin's lawyers argued that six years would be more appropriate.
Amin wrote a letter ahead of his sentencing telling the judge he has denounced ISIS and that he became involved with the terror network because they provided him with friends and respect.
His biological father, who he has not seen since he was four, came from the United Arab Emirates to attend the hearing. He also had approximately 20 family members and friends present.
Amin pleaded guilty in June to conspiring to provide material support to ISIS, a designated terrorist organization.
Amin admitted to running the Twitter account @AmreekiWitness, which had 4,000 followers. He used this account to send out over 7,000 tweets to develop financial support for the Islamic State and instructed followers on how to make anonymous donations to Islamic State using Bitcoin.
He also admitted to helping to facilitate travel for 18-year-old Reza Niknejad to get to Syria to join ISIS. Amin drove with Niknejad to the airport and provided him with instructions on where to go once he arrived in Turkey in order to meet other ISIS supporters traveling to Syria.
