WASHINGTON: A Pakistani, Muhammad Masood, was sentenced to 18 years in prison for attempting to provide material support to a terrorist organisation, Daesh.
The 31-year-old licensed Pakistani doctor, living in the United States on a work visa, was formerly employed as a research coordinator at a medical clinic in Rochester, Minnesota.
The US Department of Justice says Masood made several statements about wanting to join ISIS, pledging allegiance to the group and the leader.
A Pakistani-born doctor in the US has been sentenced to 18 years in prison for attempting to provide material support to the Islamic State militant group.
United States Department of Justice in its release stated, “A Rochester man has been sentenced to 18 years in prison with five years of supervised release for attempting to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization.”
According to court documents cited in a department news release, Muhammad Masood, 31, a physician licensed in Pakistan, was previously employed as a research coordinator at a medical clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, on an H-1B visa.
Between January 2020 and March 2020, Masood used an encrypted messaging app to facilitate his travel overseas to join the organization, US Attorney Andrew M. Luger announced.
Masood has made several statements about his desire to join the Islamic State of Iraq and Al-Sham (ISIS) and has pledged his allegiance to the terrorist organization and its leader.
He also expressed his desire to carry out “lone wolf” terrorist attacks in the United States.
On February 21, 2020, Masood purchased a ticket from Chicago, Illinois to Amman, Jordan and planned to travel to Syria from there. In March 2020, Masood’s travel plans changed as Jordan closed its borders to inbound travel due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Masood then agreed to fly from Minneapolis to Los Angeles to meet with an individual he believed would help him travel on a cargo ship to transport him to ISIS territory.
Masood travelled on March 19, 2020, from Rochester to Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport to board a flight bound for Los Angeles, California. After arriving at the airport, Masood checked in for his flight and was subsequently arrested by the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force.
On August 16, 2022, Masood pleaded guilty to attempting to provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization. Masood was sentenced Friday before Superior Court Judge Paul A. Magnuson.
