KNOXVILLE, TN – Benjamin Carpenter, 31, known by the alias “Abu Hamza,” of Knoxville, Tennessee, was convicted on October 19, 2023, by a federal jury for attempting to provide material support to ISIS, a designated foreign terrorist organization, violating Title 18 of the United States Code, Section 2339B, as per the United States District Court proceedings that lasted eight days.
Carpenter now faces a potential sentence of 20 years in federal prison followed by a lifetime term of supervised release. The sentencing will be conducted by the Honorable Katherine A. Crytzer, United States District Judge in Knoxville, Tennessee, at a yet-to-be-announced date.
Trial evidence highlighted Carpenter’s pivotal role as the head of Ahlut-Tawhid Publications, a global network of pro-ISIS “munasirin” (supporters), committed to the translation, production, and worldwide distribution of ISIS propaganda. Under the pseudonym “Abu Hamza,” Carpenter extensively published ISIS-related content, notably his weekly newsletter titled From Dabiq to Rome, which lauded the demise of American troops, extolled suicide bombers, and incited open warfare against the United States and its Western allies.
In the years 2020 and 2021, Carpenter reached out to an individual he assumed was associated with ISIS’s central media bureau, offering translation services for a project aimed at reinstating Al-Hayat Media Center, ISIS’s official foreign-language media division. However, unbeknownst to Carpenter, the individual was an undercover FBI agent who had successfully infiltrated his organization, marking a significant stride in the ongoing fight against domestic terrorism and international terror networks.