Former Mississippi State Student Sentenced 8 Years in Prison for Conspiring with Islamic State

Muhammad Dakhlalla courtesy (Dailymail.co.Uk)

U.S. District Judge Sharion Aycock sentenced former Mississippi State student

Muhammad Dakhlalla, 23,  to 8 years in federal prison on Wednesday after pleading guilty to charges that he tried to join the Islamic State.

He also received 15-years supervised observation upon his release.

During his sentencing in the U.S. District Court, Dakhlalla said he was confused about the Islamic State’s mission.

“They really are sick and twisted,” Dakhlalla said. “I denounce them. I condemn them. I don’t appreciate anything they do.”

Dakhlalla told the court the FBI “saved his life.”

In response to Dakhlalla’s confusion of the Islamic State’s intentions, prosecuting attorney Clay Joiner argues that Dahklalla was well aware of ISIS.

“Unless you were living under a rock, he should have been aware of ISIS,” Joiner said.

Jaelyn Young and Dakhlalla were arrested on August 8, 2015, by the FBI agents. The court documents can be read by clicking here: Young Jaelyn Factual Basis

Young was sentenced to 12 years in prison on a terrorism charge in Oxford on August 11.

Prosecutors say the two disguised their plot to join ISIS as honeymoon plans to Syria.

“I found the contacts, made arrangements, planned the departure,” Young wrote in a letter to her family. “I am guilty of what you soon will find out.”

Prosecutors wrote, “Young continually asked Dakhlalla when they were going to join (the Islamic State group) and began to express hatred for the U.S. government and to express support for the implementation of Sharia law in the United States.”

Last May, FBI identified a Twitter user who was supportive of ISIL and even expressed the desire to travel to ISIL territory as Jaelyn Young. FBI then engaged with undercover interactions on social media platforms with Young who identified herself as a recent convert then. According to the factual basis documents, Young told the undercover agents that she was preparing for “hijjrah” which references to traveling to Islamic State.

In the documents, she said, “I have hijjrah partner and we are planning to leave before August. [W]e just have to be careful because the NSA is launching new investigation programs and I don’t want to be trapped here:(.” [sic]

The FBI reports that in their interactions with Young, they discovered she was ready to swear allegiance to the Islamic State. She discussed that her mathematics and chemistry skills with Dakhlalla’s computer science and media skills would be useful to the Islamic State.

Randall Haley is the managing editor of HottyToddy.com. She can be reached at randall.haley@hottytoddy.com.

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