A Virginia man was convicted Friday by a jury for a crypto scheme to benefit ISIS, or the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham.
Mohammed Azharuddin Chhipa, 35, of Springfield, will be sentenced on May 5 after being found guilty on one count of conspiracy to provide material support or resources and four counts of providing and attempting to provide material support or resources to a designated foreign terrorist organization.
Chhipa faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison per count.
According to court records and evidence presented at trial, for three years starting in 2019, Chhipa collected and sent money to female ISIS members in Syria to benefit ISIS in various ways including financing the escape of female ISIS members from prison camps and supporting ISIS fighters.
Over the course of the conspiracy, the defendant sent more than $185,000 in cryptocurrency to help ISIS.
His primary co-conspirator was a British-born ISIS member residing in Syria who was involved in raising funds for prison escapes, terrorist attacks and ISIS fighters.
Chhipa would raise funds online on various social media accounts. He would receive electronic transfers of funds and travel hundreds of miles to collect funds by hand. He would then convert the money to cryptocurrency and send it to Turkey, where it was smuggled to ISIS members in Syria.
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Crystal Graham
