Air Force veteran sentenced to 35 years in prison for attempting to provide material support to ISIS

A former member of the U.S. Air Force, Tairod Nathan Webster Pugh, was recently sentenced to 35 years in prison after being found guilty of attempting to provide material support to the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) and obstruction of justice.

Pugh first traveled from Egypt to Turkey on January 10, 2015 in an effort to cross the international border into Syria and join the extremist group. Turkish authorities subsequently denied him entry and returned him to Egypt to be detained. At that time, Pugh was found carrying a laptop computer and four USB drives that were stripped of their plastic casings in an attempt to destroy their contents, rendering them inaccessible to investigators.

Pugh was also found carrying solar-powered chargers, compasses, a black balaclava head covering, and clothing that investigators said was suitable for war-torn Syria.

After the items were discovered, Pugh was transferred back to the United States where the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) closely monitored his actions, relying on an undercover operative who encountered Pugh at the John F. Kennedy International Airport. He was subsequently arrested on January 16 in Asbury Park, New Jersey and indicted in the Eastern District of New York.

Evidence used against Pugh included searches on his laptop regarding “borders controlled by the Islamic State,” an ISIS propaganda video, and numerous ISIS execution videos. Shortly before he departed for Egypt, he penned a letter proclaiming his allegiance to ISIS and that he intended to become a martyr.

“The alarming reality of this case is that Pugh served in the U.S. military but ultimately traded in his pledge to defend the United States to defend the Islamic State,” William J. Sweeney, assistant director in charge of the FBI’s New York Field Office, said. “Today’s sentencing should send a strong message to those who seek to support terrorists groups — they will face serious consequences for their actions.”