Leader Of “Revolution Muslim” Websites Sentenced For Using Internet To Threaten Jewish Organizations

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – Yousef Mohamid Al-Khattab (a.k.a. Joseph Cohen), 45, of Atlantic City, New Jersey, was sentenced today to 30 months in prison for using his position as a leader of the “Revolution Muslim” websites to use the Internet to place others in fear of serious bodily injury.

Dana J. Boente, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Valerie Parlave, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office; and William J. Bratton, New York City Police Commissioner, made the announcement after the plea was accepted by U.S. District Judge Liam O’Grady.

According to court records, Al-Khattab and his colleague, Jesse Curtis Morton (a.k.a. Younus Abdullah Muhammad), founded the Revolution Muslim organization in December 2007 to operate Internet platforms and websites to encourage Muslims to support Usama bin Laden, Anwar Al Awlaki, al Qaida, the Taliban and others engaged in or espousing violent jihad.

On Jan. 8, 2009, Al-Khattab posted to the Revolution Muslim website a video encouraging viewers upset about the conflict in Gaza to seek out the leaders of Jewish Federation chapters in the U.S. and “deal with them directly at their homes.”  Al-Khattab gave the names and addresses of synagogues in New York and another Jewish organization in Brooklyn.

On Jan. 20, 2009, Al-Khattab posted a video and photo of the headquarters of the Jewish organization in Brooklyn, with a map and directions to specific facilities.  Al-Khattab also posted a link to “The Anarchist Cookbook,” which is a manual for (among other things) constructing and using explosive devices.  On Jan. 23, 2009, Al-Khattab posted to the Revolution Muslim website a video accusing the Jewish organization of funding terrorism, and urging viewers to find the leaders of Jewish organizations and “hold them responsible.”

As part of the statement of facts accompanying his plea agreement, Al-Khattab admitted that he knew some viewers of the Revolution Muslim websites were inclined to violence, and by making the posts involving Jewish organizations in 2009, Al-Khattab was trying to frighten Jews and Jewish organizations.

On June 22, 2012, Revolution Muslim founder Jesse Morton was sentenced to 138 months in prison.  On Feb. 24, 2011, Revolution Muslim administrator Zachary Chesser was sentenced to 25 years in prison.

This investigation was conducted by the FBI’s Washington Field Office and the New York City Police Department’s Intelligence Bureau.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Gordon D. Kromberg and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Allison Ickovic of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia, along with Trial Attorney John T. Gibbs of the Justice Department’s Counterterrorism Section in the National Security Division, are prosecuting the case.

A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia at http://www.justice.gov/usao/vae.  Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia at http://www.vaed.uscourts.gov or on https://pcl.uscourts.gov.