South Carolina Man Arrested for Attempting to Join ISIS

Contact Person: Lance Crick (864) 282-2105

Columbia, SC –Zakaryia Abdin, 18, of Ladson, South Carolina, was indicted by the Federal Grand Jury sitting in Columbia, South Carolina.  He was arrested by the FBI's Joint Terrorism Task Force on Thursday evening, March 30, 2017.  He made his initial appearance in the United States District Court the following day.  Abdin was indicted for attempting to provide a material support to the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS), a designated foreign terroirist orgnanization.  The charge is based on Abdin’s alleged attempt to travel overseas to join the terrorist organization. Special Agents of the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF) took Abdin into custody at the Charleston International Airport before he boarded an outbound flight.

United States Attorney Beth Drake for the District of South Carolina and Acting Assistant Attorney General for National Security Mary B. McCord made the announcement.

Charges are merely allegations, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

Arraignment is scheduled to be held this Wednesday (April 5) at 1:30pm at the United States Courthouse in Charleston, South Carolina, located at 85 Broad Street.

This investigation is being handled by the FBI-JTTF.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean Kittrell of the District of South Carolina and Trial Attorney Jennifer Burke of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section are prosecuting the case.

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