Lackawanna man accused of Islamic State support

[Valin]

Lockport Union-Sun & Journal:

ARREST: Authorities say Arafat Nagi posted photos of beheadings and severed heads in 2014 before flying to Turkey.

Wednesday, July 29, 2015

Associated Press

 

 

BUFFALO — A western New York man traveled overseas in a bid to join the Islamic State group after buying night-vision goggles, a machete and body armor and pledging his loyalty to the group on Twitter, federal authorities said Wednesday after arresting him on a charge of attempting to provide material support to a designated terrorist organization.

 

Arafat Nagi, of Lackawanna, posted multiple photos of beheadings and severed heads in 2014 before flying to Turkey, where he stayed for 10 days before continuing on to Yemen for a month, a criminal complaint said. He was planning another trip, to Syria by way of Turkey and Yemen, within a few months, the complaint said.

 

Investigators learned of Nagi's activities after being tipped off by residents alarmed by his jihadi beliefs, which he espoused in person and on social media, the complaint said.

 

"One community member ... felt that Nagi did pose a threat to this area," U.S. Attorney William Hochul said. "As you go through some of the (purchased) items of combat military gear, which include at least in one instance, a weapon, we certainly took it very, very seriously, the possibility of danger to the community."

 

Nagi, 44, appeared in U.S. District Court, where he was ordered held without bail pending a hearing Friday. If convicted, he could face up to 15 years in prison. His court-appointed attorney, Jeremy Schwartz, told WGRZ-TV he had "no intention to engage in any terrorist activity."

 

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[Valin]

This is not the 1st time Lackawanna has made the terrorist news