Brooklyn Man Accused of Attempting to Provide Material Support to ISIS, Encouraging Attacks in NYC

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What to Know

  • NY man was arrested for allegedly attempting to provide material support to ISIS and distributing bomb-making instructions, feds say

  • According to the criminal complaint filed in Manhattan federal court, Zachary Clark, 40, pledged allegiance to ISIS twice in 2019

  • Clark shared propaganda including calls for ISIS supporters to commit lone wolf attacks in New York City, prosecutors say

A Brooklyn man was arrested Wednesday and charged with attempting to provide material support to ISIS and distributing bomb-making instructions, according to federal prosecutors.

According to the criminal complaint filed in Manhattan federal court, Zachary Clark, 40, pledged allegiance to ISIS twice in 2019.

The complaint says that beginning in at least March 2019, Clark distributed ISIS propaganda through encrypted chatrooms intended for members, associates, supporters and potential recruits of ISIS. One of the chatrooms for which he served as administrator “was among the most popular and well-known sources of ISIS media and recruitment propaganda online,” the complaint says.

Among Clark’s alleged propaganda were calls for ISIS supporters to commit lone wolf attacks in New York City.

The complaint also says that Clark shared directions on how to select an attack target, how to conduct pre-operational surveillance, how to conduct operational planning and how to avoid attracting law enforcement attention when preparing for and conducting the attack.

On another occasion, according to the complaint, Clark posted a manual entitled “Knife Attacks,” which stated that discomfort at “the thought of plunging a sharp object into another person’s flesh” is “never an excuse for abandoning jihad” and that “[k]nives, though certainly not the only weapon for inflicting harm upon the kuffar [non-believers,] are widely available in every land and thus readily accessible.”

Clark’s guidance allegedly also included posting a manual entitled “Make a bomb in the kitchen of your Mom,” which provided detailed instructions about constructing an explosive device.

Clark was arrested in Brooklyn and charged with one count of attempting to provide material support to ISIS, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, and one count of distributing information relating to explosives, destructive devices, and weapons of mass destruction, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.

Attorney information for Clark was not immediately known.





Source : Nbcnewyork