A Michigan man was convicted by a federal jury and sentenced to 20 years in prison for attempting to provide material support to ISIS and for possession of a destructive device, following a multiweek trial and an extensive FBI investigation.
Aws Mohammed Naser, 38, formerly of Westland, Michigan, was convicted after a five-week trial on two counts of attempting to provide material support to the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham, commonly known as ISIS, and one count of being a felon in possession of a destructive device. The jury unanimously found he attempted to provide personnel and services to a designated foreign terrorist organization, and they reached their verdict after roughly six hours of deliberation. A federal judge imposed a 20-year sentence today, reinforcing the gravity of the charges against him.
Prosecutors presented evidence that Naser radicalized in his early 20s and used an online presence to push extreme Salafi-Jihadist messaging on platforms such as YouTube. He developed a close relationship with Russell Dennison, an aspiring Salafi-Jihadist preacher, and the two traveled together to Iraq in early 2012. When Dennison later went to Syria and joined an Al-Nusrah Front affiliate, that relationship became the backbone of Naser’s plan to join or otherwise materially support the terror network.
Authorities say Naser attempted to travel abroad twice to join the conflict zone but was blocked from leaving the United States on both occasions. In November 2012 he arrived at Detroit Metropolitan Airport with luggage that included a rifle scope, a cane sword, and a tactical knife, and was denied boarding. In January 2013 he tried again from Chicago O’Hare bound for Beirut, Lebanon, after committing a gas station robbery that produced roughly $2,000 in cash; he was again denied boarding and later convicted of armed robbery, serving a three-year sentence.
After his release and placement on parole supervision in 2016, investigators say Naser renewed his allegiance to ISIS and shifted tactics to supporting the group from inside the United States. He allegedly created covert social media accounts, joined invite-only ISIS chatrooms, and accessed official ISIS media and jihadi propaganda. During that period he solicited explosives information, received bomb-making training from other supporters, experimented with manufacturing explosives, and operated drones.
Prosecutors provided detailed forensic evidence showing Naser’s escalation from online pledges to practical preparation for violence. He downloaded a video that provided step-by-step instructions on manufacture of triacetone triperoxide, known as TATP or “The Mother of Satan.” In October 2017 the FBI executed a search of Naser’s home and vehicle and found what agents described as a bomb-making lab in his basement, multiple drones and parts, and a ready-to-assemble destructive device with precursor chemicals suitable for a TATP-based improvised explosive device.
Officials emphasized that the investigation was a coordinated effort by the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force and partner agencies, and they named the prosecution team that brought the case. First Assistant U.S. Attorney Saima Mohsin, U.S. Attorney Jerome F. Gorgon Jr., Assistant U.S Attorney Hank Moon for the Eastern District of Michigan, and the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section litigated the matter. Federal agents and prosecutors said the case shows how online radicalization can translate into concrete threats that must be disrupted early.
At sentencing, U.S. Attorney Gorgon spoke directly about betrayal and danger, stating in court: “This self-professed ‘soldier of the Caliphate’ and ‘son of the Islamic State’ has now faced American justice. We welcomed this traitor into our Nation with open arms. And he repaid us by building a bomb and helping our great enemy,” said U.S. Attorney Gorgon. That blunt language underscored the administration of justice perspective emphasized by the prosecution.
FBI Detroit’s leadership also framed the result as a deterrent and a validation of investigative work. “Those who support terrorism or violent extremism against the United States should expect a lengthy prison sentence. Today’s outcome sends that message without question,” said Jennifer Runyan, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Detroit Field Office. “Threats against our homeland and endangering American lives are what the FBI works day in and day out to prevent. Thanks to the thorough investigative work of our FBI Detroit Joint Terrorism Task Force and partner agencies, this defendant was identified, disrupted, and brought to justice.”
Investigators trace the network behind Naser’s intent back to Dennison, who is believed to have been killed in 2019 while fighting on behalf of ISIS in Syria. After Dennison left for Syria, Naser focused on ways to help ISIS from the U.S. mainland, including soliciting funds and acquiring technical know-how to build explosive devices. That pattern of attempted travel followed by domestic plotting is common in cases where overseas networks influence homegrown actors.
The sentencing closes a chapter in a case that combined online open-source evidence, undercover communications, and physical searches that turned up explosive materials and components. Federal authorities say the prosecution demonstrates that ideology plus access to weaponization materials is treated as a serious national security threat. The outcome reflects a law-and-order approach: radicalization that moves toward operational capability will be met with punishment and long prison terms.
