A United States resident of the state of Virginia was convicted of funding the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS) to the tune of $185,000 over a time frame of 2019 to 2022.
Mohammed Azharuddin Chhipa was convicted by a Jury and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison per count.
The development was announced by the United States Department of Justice via a press release revealing details of the case and an insight into the activities of the convicted between 2019 and 2022.
“ According to court records and evidence presented at trial, from at least October 2019 through October 2022, Chhipa collected and sent money to female ISIS members in Syria to benefit ISIS in various ways, including by financing the escape of female ISIS members from prison camps and supporting 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.
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. Over the course of the conspiracy, the defendant sent out over $185,000 in cryptocurrency.” The press release reads in parts
Mohammed and his Co-conspirators largely focused on funding the upkeep of female ISIS soldiers.
Sentencing
A sentencing hearing for the convicted has been scheduled for May 5, 2025, and the convict faces a maximum of 20 years in prison per count.
The sentencing will be decided by a Federal district court judge under the full purview of the US Sentencing guidelines.
The press release was announced by Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division, Executive Assistant Director Robert Wells of the FBI’s National Security Branch, and U.S. Attorney Jessica D. Aber for the Eastern District of Virginia.
Crypto as a means of funding conflict
Cryptocurrency in conflict zones is not a new concept as the technology has been leveraged in the past to send funds to regions under heavy conflict.
According to the Centre for European Policy Analysis, Ukraine received over $225 million in cryptocurrencies and about $190,000 in Ethereum Non-fungible tokens through donations.
Russia also leverages crypto to fund its war efforts as Russian President Vladimir Putin recently stated that nobody has the power to Ban Crypto throwing his weight behind the technology of cryptocurrencies.
