Brooklyn, NY – A Queens man who used cryptocurrency and online fundraising platforms to secretly funnel money to ISIS was found guilty Friday in federal court of conspiring to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization.
Abdullah At Taqi, 26, was convicted on all counts, while his co-defendant, Mohamad David Hashimi, pleaded guilty earlier this month before trial.
Prosecutors said the pair laundered thousands of dollars through Bitcoin, PayPal, and GoFundMe to finance ISIS operations abroad under the guise of charitable giving.
Key Points
- Abdullah At Taqi and Mohamad David Hashimi funneled over $24,000 to ISIS using cryptocurrency and online donations
- Funds were disguised as humanitarian aid and sent to a self-proclaimed ISIS member overseas
- Each defendant faces up to 60 years in prison
Federal prosecutors say digital trail exposed ISIS financing network
According to court evidence, At Taqi made 15 separate Bitcoin transactions to Osama Obeida, an ISIS member who directed him through encrypted messaging platforms. Investigators said At Taqi used coded language, referring to Obeida as “a brother from Dawlah,” an Arabic reference to ISIS. He allegedly told an undercover source that cryptocurrency allowed him to send funds “unnoticed.”
In one exchange, Obeida sent a photo of weapons and an ISIS flag to verify that the donations were being used to arm fighters. The image, prosecutors said, was proof that funds from At Taqi and others were directly supporting militant operations in the Middle East.
Assistant Attorney General John A. Eisenberg said Taqi “funnelled cryptocurrency to ISIS fighters” with the goal of helping the group reestablish a stronghold in the region. U.S. Attorney Joseph Nocella Jr. called the case a warning to anyone using digital platforms to finance terrorism, saying his office “will disrupt that pipeline and prosecute those who fund ISIS and their evildoers.”
Co-defendants used multiple platforms to disguise terror funding
Investigators uncovered a group chat of ISIS supporters where members, including Hashimi, discussed raising funds through fake humanitarian campaigns. Bitcoin wallets and PayPal links were posted in the chat, all controlled by Obeida, according to the government.
Through those accounts, At Taqi, Hashimi, Seema Rahman, and Khalilullah Yousuf sent more than $24,000 to ISIS contacts. Yousuf, who was prosecuted in Canada, contributed more than $20,000 in Bitcoin. Rahman, who pleaded guilty earlier this year, raised over $10,000 through GoFundMe campaigns and sent the money to Obeida’s network via Western Union.
Sentencing to follow for convicted ISIS financiers
At Taqi and Hashimi each face up to 60 years in federal prison when sentenced. Rahman awaits sentencing after pleading guilty in January, while Yousuf remains in Canadian custody.
Federal authorities said the convictions mark a significant blow to ISIS’s online fundraising operations, which often rely on anonymous digital transactions to evade detection.
Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche praised investigators, saying the case exposed “an abhorrent organization bankrolled through deception” and underscored the Justice Department’s commitment to dismantling terror finance networks.