Virginia Man Convicted for Crypto Financing Scheme to ISIS

A jury convicted Mohammed Azharuddin Chhipa, 35, of Springfield, Virginia, on Dec. 13 for charges relating to his efforts to provide material support to the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS), a foreign terrorist organization.

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 of cryptocurrency.

The jury found Chhipa guilty of one count of conspiracy to provide material support or resources to a designated foreign terrorist organization and four counts of providing and attempting to provide material support or resources to a designated foreign terrorist organization. Chhipa faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison per count. A sentencing hearing has been scheduled for May 5, 2025. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

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 made the announcement.

The FBI is investigating the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Anthony T. Aminoff and Amanda St. Cyr for the Eastern District of Virginia and Trial Attorneys Andrew John Dixon and Andrea Broach of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section are prosecuting the case.

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Source: Justice.gov