A 20-year-old Washington man was arrested as he tried to fly abroad to join ISIS, federal prosecutors say
- Elvin Hunter Bgorn Williams, of Seattle, was arrested this week while trying to fly to join ISIS, prosecutors say.
- He has been charged with attempting to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization.
- Prosecutors say Williams was "self-radicalized."
A 20-year-old man from Washington state was arrested at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport last week as he tried to fly abroad and join ISIS, the Justice Department said on Tuesday.
Elvin Hunter Bgorn Williams, of Seattle, has been charged with attempting to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization.
According to a criminal complaint, federal prosecutors say that between November 2020 and May 2021, Williams attempted to provide resources, including his own services, to ISIS, a designated terrorist organization.
Prosecutors say Williams was "self-radicalized," and that the FBI received a call from a member of a Seattle-area mosque last year, who raised concerns that Williams was "deeply involved in ISIS propaganda."
But it wasn't the first time the FBI had been contacted about Williams.
In 2017, Williams' mother had also contacted the FBI, saying her son wanted to fight for ISIS, the criminal complaint said.
Further, Williams told others at school that the 2017 ISIS attack on an Ariana Grande concert in Manchester, England was "justified because the performer dressed provocatively," according to the criminal complaint.
Williams was arrested at a gate at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport on May 28.
If convicted, he faces up to 20 years in prison.
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