A federal court sentenced 22-year-old Michael Sam Teekaye Jr. to 15 years in prison plus lifetime supervised release after he attempted to join ISIS and plotted violence against Jewish people and supporters of Israel, following an undercover investigation that uncovered travel plans, weapons training, and violent statements.
U.S. District Judge Adam B. Abelson handed down the 15-year sentence after Teekaye admitted attempting to provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization. The conviction stems from an investigation that began with online contacts and unfolded into real-world steps toward travel and attacks.
According to court documents, Teekaye told an undercover officer that he wanted to travel to Africa to join ISIS as a “mujahid,” or fighter, and described a fallback plan to strike inside the United States. He said his “plan B” was to carry out an attack in the United States against Jews and people who support Israel, and he thought about how to “gun down key members or anyone involved.”
In the spring and early summer of 2024 Teekaye bought ammunition and paid for range time at a shooting range in Severn, Maryland, calling it part of his “training.” In July 2024 he attempted to purchase a Kalashnikov K-9 9mm assault rifle, but the sale was denied because he was on probation in a state case.
Between August and October 2024 Teekaye communicated with an ISIS operative in Somalia about travel logistics and obtained an Ethiopian e-Visa, screenshots of which he shared with the undercover officer. He received airline tickets and sent a travel itinerary showing plans to depart from Baltimore/Washington International Airport on Oct. 14, with a flight path through London to Istanbul.
On Oct. 10 he sent a photo of himself wearing a black mask and holding a large machete and wrote, “Victory or shahada [i.e., martyrdom] … either you do it here or over there or both.” When pressed a day later, Teekaye said he was “sure” because he had done “a lot of research” and “they are the only group that has the most true and sincere intentions.”
FBI agents arrested Teekaye at BWI on Oct. 14 after he checked in and moved through security. After his arrest, Teekaye made the following unprovoked statements, among others: “I’m just gonna get out in 20 years and I’m just gonna do it here. Okay? Okay? It will never stop. Jihad will never stop. I’ll just do it here then, when I get out.” He then made reference to a recent attack in which ISIS prison inmates killed four Russian penal colony guards, and threatened to kill a guard while in prison. He continued: “You think 20 years is something? I’ll be like 40 when I get out, then I’ll just do it. I don’t care. It will never stop. Jihad will never stop. I’ll come and I’ll kill your soldiers. I’ll kill you, and I’ll kill . . . .” While making these statements, Teekaye kicked and spat on one of the arresting agents.
Searches on Teekaye’s phone showed queries for specific Jewish and Israeli individuals and organizations in Howard County, along with how-to searches such as “how to break into a home” and “how to escape murder.” One targeted individual, a rabbi, submitted a victim-impact statement and spoke at sentencing about the effect on the local Jewish community.
On Oct. 24, 2024 a federal grand jury returned an indictment charging Teekaye with one count of attempting to provide material support or resources to ISIS and one count of assaulting a federal officer. He pled guilty to the material support count on Jan. 30, 2026, and after that plea jail staff found two homemade weapons in his cell, including a large knife.
U.S. Attorney Kelly O’Hayes for the District of Maryland emphasized the real-world danger, saying, “Mr. Teekaye sought to support a foreign terrorist organization that has committed unspeakable acts of violence and took real-world steps to carry out a terrorist attack in Maryland. Today’s sentence underscores that those who seek to aid terrorist organizations will be identified, prosecuted, and held fully accountable. I commend the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force and our law-enforcement partners for their exceptional work in disrupting this threat and protecting our communities before any harm could occur. There is no margin for error when it comes to terrorism.”
Special Agent in Charge Jimmy Paul of the FBI Baltimore Field Office added, “This sentencing reinforces the gravity of Michael Teekaye’s crimes. Undoubtedly, lives were saved because law enforcement thwarted Teekaye’s plan to join ISIS and murder Americans. The FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force works around the clock to protect our country by identifying threats like this and preventing them from being carried out and harming our citizens.”
The case was prosecuted by U.S. Attorney Christina Hoffman for the District of Maryland with assistance from Trial Attorney Elisa Poteat of the Justice Department’s National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section. Law enforcement praised coordination across field offices and local partners for disrupting the plot before any violence occurred.
