Virginia Man Convicted Of Supporting ISIS Said He Was ‘Checking Things Out’ By Joining Terrorist Group

A Virginia man, who was convicted Wednesday for providing material support to the Islamic State group (ISIS), said he was simply “checking things out” by joining the terrorist group in Syria and Iraq. Mohamad Khweis testified on his own behalf at the trial, saying he only wanted to know what ISIS was like and that after a few months, he realized the group was not for him.

He left the United States in December 2015 to travel to Syria through Turkey. Before leaving the country, he left his job, sold his car, closed online accounts, and did not inform his family about his intention to join ISIS, according to the Department of Justice.

Read: Virginia ISIS Teenager Behind Pro-Islamic State Twitter Sentenced To 11 Years In Prison

“He wanted to find out how they could justify some of this stuff,” such as suicide bombings, defense attorney John Zwerling said, adding, “It’s not a crime to explore, to try to see some of this information for yourself.”

Khweis, 27, stayed in a house with other ISIS recruits in Raqqa, Syria, He used encrypted devices, downloaded several applications on his phone to hide his online activity and to browse the internet anonymously, according to the Justice Department. He also agreed to be a suicide bomber.

During the trial, he agreed of having spent two-and-a-half months with ISIS as a member of the group, traveling with other recruits and taking part in ISIS-directed religious training. He was detained by Kurdish Peshmerga military forces in March 2016. According to a Kurdish Peshmerga official’s testimony, Khweis was captured on the battlefield after leaving an ISIS-controlled neighborhood in Tal Afar, Iraq.

In the trial, Khweis also said he lied to the U.S. and Kurdish authorities about about his involvement with ISIS.

“Khweis is not a naïve kid who didn’t know what he was doing,” Dana J. Boente, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia said, in the Justice Department’s statement. “He is a 27-year-old man who studied criminal justice in college. He strategically planned his travel to avoid law enforcement suspicion, encrypted his communications, and planned for possible alibis.”

“Khweis knew exactly what he was doing, knew exactly who ISIS was, and was well aware of their thirst for extreme violence. Nonetheless, this did not deter him. Instead, Khweis voluntarily chose to join the ranks of a designated foreign terrorist organization, and that is a federal crime, even if you get scared and decide to leave. This office, along with the National Security Division and our investigative partners, are committed to tracking down anyone who provides or attempts to provide material support to a terrorist organization,” Boente added.

Khweis was convicted of providing and conspiring to provide material support or resources to the militant group and a related firearms count, according to the Justice Department. His sentencing date is set for Oct. 13.