Bronx man convicted of attempting to provide material support for terrorism

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A Bronx man faces 20  years in prison after he  was convicted of attempting to provide material support for terrorism and attempting to make a contribution of funds, goods and services to the Taliban.
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A Bronx man faces 20 years in prison after he was convicted last week for attempting to provide material support for terrorism and attempting to make a contribution of funds, goods and services to the Taliban.

“As the jury found, Delowar Hossain made elaborate preparations to travel to Afghanistan to join the Taliban and kill American troops, and he was intercepted at JFK Airport attempting to board a flight while carrying mountain survival gear and thousands in cash for weapons to achieve his murderous plan,” said U.S. Attorney Damian Williams. “I commend the excellent work of the Joint Terrorism Task Force to uncover the plot and stop Hossain, who now awaits sentencing for his crimes.”

According to the investigation, beginning in the fall of 2018, Delowar Mohammed Hossain, 36, expressed his desire to travel to Afghanistan, join the Taliban and kill American service members. Over the next approximately 10 months, Hossain attempted to recruit several other individuals into his plot, attempted to contact at least one individual in Pakistan who was associated with the Taliban, saved roughly $10,000, with which he planned to buy weapons to use after he joined the Taliban and bought survival gear for the mountains of Afghanistan.

During recorded conversations with two confidential sources working with the FBI, Hossain consistently reiterated his desire to join the Taliban and kill Americans. Hossain also took steps to develop a cover story designed to disguise his extremism and evade detection by the FBI, which included traveling to Thailand on his way to Afghanistan.

On July 26, 2019, the FBI arrested him at John F. Kennedy International Airport as he was walking down the jet bridge to a flight that would have taken him to Thailand, the first leg of his planned journey to Afghanistan to join the Taliban. A subsequent search of Hossain and his luggage revealed approximately $10,000 and survival gear, including a machete, an ax, a knife, a tent, sleeping bags rated for freezing temperatures, emergency thermal blankets, personal water filters and solar power panels.

He will be setenced Jan. 12, 2022.