A man of Albanian and U.S. citizenship was charged on Friday with attempting to support the Islamic State and sharing instructional materials on creating explosives, according to the Department of Justice (DOJ).
Erald Alimehmeti, 33, originally from Tirana, Albania, and a former New York City resident, previously served time in Albanian prisons from late 2015 to 2019 and again from 2020 to 2022 for assault and weapons-related offenses.
Alimehmeti’s past includes prison time for assault and weapons offenses in Albania
The DOJ alleges that Alimehmeti used online platforms to research attack methods similar to those of the “D.C. Sniper” and sought “tactical” equipment and gear for use in ISIS-related training and operations.
Reports also state that he requested items such as “magazine pouches” and “knives” while discussing potential modifications to his “AKM,” believed to reference an assault rifle.
Charges against Alimehmeti for supporting ISIS could result in a prison term of up to 20 years. An additional charge of distributing information on explosives, destructive devices, and weapons of mass destruction to further a federal crime of violence also carries a maximum sentence of 20 years.
Recent months have seen the U.S. military conduct at least 95 counter-ISIS operations. These charges follow other recent arrests, including a U.S. soldier detained earlier this month for assisting an ISIS scheme and a Florida man accused of plotting to bomb the New York Stock Exchange as part of an effort to destabilize the U.S. government.
