Texas man pleads guilty to terrorist activities with ISIS

A Houston man pleaded guilty to attempting to join and provide information to the terrorist organization the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS).

Kaan Sercan Damlarkaya, 20, attempted to join and support ISIS, the U.S. Justice Department claims. He provided information to other ISIS supporters about the use of machetes, the homemade construction of an automatic weapon, and how to build and use explosive materials.

This activity took place from August 2017 until he was arrested in December 2017.

In seeking to join ISIS, Damlarkaya had numerous online conversations with individuals he believed to be fellow ISIS supporters. In these conversations, he said he wanted to travel overseas to fight for ISIS in Syria or Afghanistan, the Justice Department says. If he couldn’t join ISIS overseas, Damlarkaya said he would conduct an attack on non-Muslims in the United States adding, according to Justice officials, that it was his “dream” to be a martyr.

He also allegedly provided information to ISIS supporters on at least two occasions on ways to manufacture a bomb. Further, he provided ISIS supporters with information about how to construct an automatic weapon. He also said he could buy a machete.

U.S. District Judge Andrew Hanen accepted the plea and set sentencing for Sept. 30. Damlarkaya faces up to 20 years in federal prison and a maximum $250,000 possible fine. He will remain in custody pending that hearing.

The guilty plea was announced by Assistant Attorney General for National Security John Demers and U.S. Attorney Ryan Patrick for the Southern District of Texas. The FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alamdar Hamdani and Rob Jones are prosecuting the case along with DOJ Trial Attorneys Kevin Nunnally and Gregory Gonzalez of National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section.