Two Chicago Men Charged With Supporting ISIS
Two men from Chicago, Illinois were arrested early Wednesday by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and charged with conspiring to provide material support to the Islamic State (ISIS). Both of them helped send to Syria someone who they thought was a newly recruited jihadist but turned out to be an undercover agent.
The suspects, both 35 years old, were identified as Joseph D. Jones, known as Yusuf Abdulhaqq, and Edward Schimenti, known as Abdul Wali. Their arrest was the product of a 19-month surveillance of their activities after authorities were flagged by their disturbing posts on social media.
The sting began in September 2015 when an undercover agent approached Jones at the Zion Police Department where he was being questioned about the killing of a friend. The two began talking about Islam until the agent was introduced to Schimenti. The agent brought in two more feds to their group.
Over the course of several months, the five of them met on several occasions across the region to discuss "their devotion and commitment'' to ISIS. Their obsession led them to send one of the undercover feds to Syria to deliver several cellphone devices to be used to detonate car bombs.
The pair was made to believe that the feds posing as ISIS supporters had gained access to a network that smuggles new recruits to Syria, according to AP.
One time, the informant asked Jones if he ever thought about traveling to Syria, to which the part-time chef replied, "Every night and day."
Another time at a local gym, Schimenti, who worked at a cancer treatment center, conceded to one of the informants he wasn't in fighting shape.
"I'm all big, fat," the complaint quoted him as saying. "But (God willing), the brothers will just have me be the one to cut the neck."
On April 7, the duo drove one of the informants to O'Hare International Airport for what they thought would be the first leg of their journey to Syria.
"Drench that land... with blood," Schimenti told the agent.
If convicted, both men could face a maximum prison term of 20 years, USA Today reported.
