Two men have been convicted in federal court in Brooklyn for conspiring and attempting to provide material support to the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS), as well as conspiring to launder money. Abdullah At Taqi was found guilty by a jury on all three counts of the indictment, while his co-defendant Mohammad David Hashimi pleaded guilty earlier this month. Both men face up to 60 years in prison when sentenced.
According to prosecutors, At Taqi and Hashimi sent thousands of dollars using cryptocurrency and wire transfers to a self-proclaimed ISIS member. The case was announced by Joseph Nocella, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York; Todd Blanche, United States Deputy Attorney General; John A. Eisenberg, Assistant Attorney General for National Security; Christopher G. Raia, Assistant Director in Charge at the FBI’s New York Field Office; and Jessica S. Tisch, Commissioner of the New York City Police Department.
“The defendants used Bitcoin, PayPal and GoFundMe to fund ISIS’s deadly mission,” stated United States Attorney Nocella. “ISIS relies on supporters, like the defendants, to sponsor its terrorist aims, which is why our Office and our law enforcement partners are working tirelessly to disrupt that pipeline and prosecute those who provide material support to terrorist organizations and their evildoers.”
Nocella also thanked the FBI’s New York Joint Terrorism Task Force for their work on the case.
“An exceptional team uncovered the defendants’ use of electronic currency to bankroll an abhorrent organization that harbors deep-seated animosity toward America,” said Deputy Attorney General Blanche. “Their intent was to procure weapons for terrorism and now their actions will result in incarceration. Justice has been served.”
Assistant Attorney General Eisenberg commented: “Today, a federal jury convicted Abdullah At Taqi for conspiring to fund ISIS, a terrorist organization that has unleashed terror and unimaginable brutality across the globe. Taqi conspired to support the group and its atrocities by funneling cryptocurrency to ISIS fighters, hoping they would establish a stronghold in the Middle East from which the group could destabilize the entire region. This conviction reflects the Department’s commitment to holding accountable those who knowingly finance terrorism.”
FBI Assistant Director Raia added: “Abdullah At Taqi and Mohammed Hashimi knowingly donated thousands of dollars to an ISIS member through various cryptocurrency exchanges, wire transfers, and purported humanitarian fundraisers. The defendants’ actions potentially facilitated the purchase of explosives and ammunition by a designated terrorist organization. May today’s conviction emphasize the FBI’s stout determination to cease all funding of terrorists to ensure their malevolent ideologies are never brought to fruition.”
NYPD Commissioner Tisch stated: “The NYPD will stop at nothing to protect New Yorkers from the dangers of ISIS and terrorists who seek to harm our country. These defendants used a variety of online platforms in an attempt to covertly send thousands of dollars to ISIS members to purchase weapons. Today’s conviction demonstrates the NYPD’s expertise and commitment to rooting out terrorism and the importance of our partnership with the U.S Attorney’s Office and the FBI to stop these dangerous individuals.”
Evidence presented at trial showed that At Taqi made 15 separate Bitcoin transactions over nearly a year directly to Osama Obeida (also known as Osama Abu Obayda), identified as an ISIS member. Communications between At Taqi and an online confidential source revealed he used cryptocurrency so money could be sent “unnoticed” through another supporter using encrypted messaging platforms.
Obeida told this source he had received regular funds from At Taqi over two years. To demonstrate authenticity, Obeida sent a photograph showing an ISIS flag alongside weapons with identifiers confirming it was recent; he claimed donations were used for purchasing weapons for fighters.
Other communications showed Obeida instructing At Taqi on operational security measures such as deleting messages or changing IP addresses.
Hashimi participated in an encrypted group chat supporting ISIS where members discussed posting links claiming humanitarian purposes but intended instead for funding fighters—so-called “mujahideen.” A Bitcoin address controlled by Obeida was posted there along with PayPal campaign links; Hashimi cautioned others about law enforcement detection risks.
Through various methods including Bitcoin, PayPal, and GoFundMe campaigns set up under false pretenses, At Taqi, Hashimi, Seema Rahman (another co-defendant), Khalilullah Yousuf (a co-conspirator), collectively transferred more than $24,000 in cryptocurrency alone—Yousuf contributed over $20,000—with additional amounts sent via PayPal accounts associated with Obeida or through fundraising campaigns whose proceeds were wired abroad.
Rahman previously pleaded guilty earlier this year on related charges; she awaits sentencing while Yousuf was prosecuted separately in Canada.
The prosecution was handled by attorneys from both local U.S. Attorney’s offices specializing in national security matters as well as staff from Justice Department counterterrorism sections.
The convicted individuals are Mohammad David Hashimi (38) from Potomac Falls, Virginia; Abdullah At Taqi (26) from Queens, New York; Seema Rahman (28) from Edison, New Jersey.
