ISIS-K Terrorist Sentenced to 20 Years in Prison for Role in Abbey Gate and Other Terror Attacks “Sharifullah spent nearly a decade at the heart of a horrific campaign of terror, providing critical support for attacks against civilians around the world and, ultimately, contributed to the deaths of 13 U.S. servicemembers and dozens of others at Abbey Gate,” said Assistant Attorney General John A. Eisenberg. “Today’s sentence holds him accountable for the blood on his hands. The United States will pursue, capture, and bring to justice anyone, anywhere in the world, who takes part in the killing of our servicemembers or citizens.” Read more:

Yesterday at Main Justice, AAGs Tysen Duva and John Eisenberg welcomed UK Homeland Security Group Director General Dr. Michelle Haslem for talks on national security, cybercrime, and cyber-enabled fraud. Strong coordination with trusted partners helps keep our country safe.

“Kramer was taken into custody just as he appeared to be preparing for a mass shooting that could have taken many lives, having already secured a rifle and approximately 190 rounds of ammunition for what he called his ‘mission,’” said Assistant Attorney General John Eisenberg. “His apparent ISIS inspiration and escalation toward violence show how close this country came to a devastating attack. This arrest prevented what could have been a horrific tragedy.”

Andrei Samuilovski, 32, who has citizenship in Estonia, Switzerland, and Russia, pleaded guilty today in connection with a scheme to illegally export U.S.-origin aviation and aerospace parts to Russia in violation of U.S. sanctions. 🔗:

California Man Pleads Guilty to Bombing Santa Barbara County Courthouse in Retaliation for Law Enforcement Seizing His Firearms “McGuire launched a vicious, terroristic assault on a court of law with the intent to kill law enforcement officers and a judge,” said Assistant Attorney General John A. Eisenberg. “His attack injured three people and, were it not for the quick action of court security and law enforcement, it could have been far worse. McGuire will now face the consequences of his actions.” Read more:

American Citizen who Worked as an Agent for the PRC Sentenced to Two Years in Prison: Thomas Pauken II Sentenced to Federal Prison to be Followed by 36 Months of Supervised Release with No Overseas Travel “Pauken exploited his U.S. citizenship and corresponding ability to travel to the U.S. without restriction in order to support Chinese Ministry of State Security (MSS) operations, recruiting, and gathering of sensitive information from potential assets,” said Assistant Attorney General John A. Eisenberg. “Pauken betrayed his country for money. The National Security Division is committed to holding accountable anyone who aids or abets Chinese espionage efforts.” Read more:

🚨Justice Department Continues to Disrupt Hamas Terrorist Financing Schemes Through Seizures of Cryptocurrency and Internet Infrastructure “These seizures deprive Hamas of resources it relies on to recruit and radicalize individuals online and finance barbaric attacks like the one on October 7, 2023,” said Assistant Attorney General John A. Eisenberg. “We will continue to tighten the vise on Hamas’s capacity for terror by infiltrating its online networks, confiscating its cryptocurrency, and shutting down its websites.” Read more:

A Florida resident and Russian national, Alexander Manonov, 62, was convicted on all charges yesterday following a jury trial related to a scheme to illegally export aircraft parts from the United States to Russia and the state-owned Russian airline, PJSC Aeroflot. “This guilty verdict – on all counts – shows the United States government’s resolute commitment to upholding our export-control laws and to prosecuting those who violate them,” said Assistant Attorney General John A. Eisenberg. “The National Security Division and our U.S. Attorney’s Offices and law enforcement partners will continue to safeguard U.S.-controlled items from being exported unlawfully.” Read more:

“Laatsch’s animus toward the U.S. government gave him no license to betray the oath he took to the Constitution of the United States nor the duty he had to the men and women who put their lives on the line every day to protect our Nation,” said Assistant Attorney General John A. Eisenberg. “Unlawfully disclosing national defense information to a foreign government is a serious crime, not a form of principled dissent.”

“Today’s announcement demonstrates the Justice Department’s steadfast commitment to going on the offensive against cyber threats to the national security,” said Assistant Attorney General John A. Eisenberg. “These court-authorized seizures deny PRC-linked hackers access to tools they use to mount online attacks against our Nation’s critical infrastructure.”

🚨Albany, New York Woman Charged with ISIS-Inspired Terror Plot Targeting New York State Capitol “As alleged, Bowie plotted to deploy an explosive device at the New York State Capitol, intending to kill public officials and to destroy ‘as much of the building as possible’ before fleeing to ISIS‑controlled territory in Syria,” said Assistant Attorney General John A. Eisenberg. “The National Security Division and our law-enforcement partners are committed to the painstaking work of preventing plots like this from succeeding and securing convictions against those who attempt such plots.” Read more:

“Spitze is one of the original members of the nihilistic violent extremist groups ‘Harm Nation’ and ‘764,’ and was committed to bringing about the downfall of society through terrorism, specifically by targeting children and other vulnerable people and extorting them to engage in criminal sexual conduct, self-harm, and mass casualty events,” said Assistant Attorney General John A. Eisenberg. “Today’s sentence of 77 years, the longest federal sentence ever imposed on a nihilistic violent extremist, sends a strong message that civil society will not tolerate such depravity. The National Security Division will work tirelessly with our law-enforcement partners to identify and prosecute these predators and keep our children safe from this new form of terrorism.”

17 Iranians Charged with Conducting Massive Cyber Theft Campaign on Behalf of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and Other Iranian Entities “The superseding indictment alleges that, at the behest of entities including the IRGC, these defendants hacked into universities and other research institutions worldwide, including the United States, stealing at least 31 terabytes of information and intellectual property of untold value,” said Assistant Attorney General John A. Eisenberg. “The National Security Division is committed to protecting the United States from such predators and will pursue those who perpetrate such crimes for as long as it takes to bring them to justice.” Read more:

🚨South Florida Resident Pleads GUILTY to Smuggling Firearms from Florida to Haiti as Part of Homeland Security Task Force Initiative Jean Robert Casimir, 53, a naturalized U.S. citizen of Lauderhill, Florida, pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court to conspiracy, smuggling, and violations of U.S. export control law for his role in an extensive firearms trafficking operation through which he illegally exported at least 140 firearms to Haiti since 2020. To smuggle the firearms to Haiti, Casimir and his co-conspirators used, among other techniques, industrial air compressors that they cut open and welded back together, packing disassembled rifles and handguns with foam insulation. Casimir and his co-conspirators then shipped these and other packages to Haiti via boats leaving from the Miami area. Casimir is a former Haitian National Police officer. Read more:

Turkey-Based Global Director of Sham Charity Arrested and Charged with Conspiring to Provide Material Support to Hamas “The money that flows from sham charities like the one described in the complaint fuels Hamas’s terrorist activities, including the atrocities the group committed on October 7,” said Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg. “Hamas cannot function without injections of money through its illicit financial networks. The National Security Division will continue to work tirelessly to disrupt Hamas’s operations, including through the prosecutions such as this.” 🔗:

Department of Justice Files First Case in U.S. Alien Terrorist Removal Court to Deport Afghan Alien Who Supported Her Family’s Plans for Election-Day Shooting “Congress created the Alien Terrorist Removal Court three decades ago to remove from the United States alien terrorists who never should have been here in the first place,” said Acting Attorney General @DAGToddBlanche. “The allegations in this case show the matriarch of an ISIS-sympathizing family aiding in a plot to launch a mass casualty attack on American voters on Election Day. The Department’s application in this court makes clear that terrorists have no place in the United States of America.” 🔗:

Federal Jury Convicts New Jersey Man of Terrorism Offenses Relating to His Attempted Murder of Salman Rushdie “Matar spent more than a year immersing himself in Hizballah’s violent ideology and preparing to act on a fatwa issued by Iran’s Ayatollahs calling for Mr. Rushdie’s murder,” said Assistant Attorney General John Eisenberg. “His brutal attack on Mr. Rushdie during a peaceful speaking event is a chilling reminder of the global reach of Iranian terrorism. With today’s verdict, justice has been done, and Matar will pay for his crimes.” Read more:

Federal Grand Jury Indicts 8 Men in Conspiracies Related to Plot to Attack UFC Freedom 250 Event at White House, Kill Government Officials: Eighth alleged coconspirator who was to participate as sniper during attack arrested by FBI in West Virginia this week 🔗:

The Justice Department announced today that Catherine Beth Washburn, 37, of Irondequoit, New York, was ARRESTED AND CHARGED by criminal complaint with attempting to provide material support and resources, namely currency, to designated Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) the Palestine Islamic Jihad (PIJ) also known as Al-Quds Brigades. “As alleged, Washburn repeatedly voiced support for violence against Israeli civilians and attempted to provide material support to the Palestine Islamic Jihad by sending cryptocurrency to an individual who claimed to participate in its attacks,” said Assistant Attorney General John A. Eisenberg. “Those who aid foreign terrorist groups will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.” Read more: