A Maryland charged with attempting to provide material support to ISIS in Somalia

Maryland October 18, 2024 (QJ)-A man residing in Maryland has been charged with attempting to provide material support to ISIS in Somalia, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for Maryland announced on Wednesday.

Michael Sam Teekaye Jr., 21, from Hanover, Maryland, was arrested on October 14 at Baltimore Washington International Airport, where he has remained in custody since. He appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Erin Aslan after his arrest.

According to court documents, Teekaye engaged in numerous conversations with an undercover officer between March and April 2023, expressing his desire to join ISIS and travel to Africa to fight for the terrorist group.

He also indicated that if his travel plans did not materialize, his Plan B was to carry out an attack in the U.S. against individuals who support Israel.

In May and June 2024, Teekaye purchased ammunition and scheduled shooting range time in Severn, Maryland, as part of what he described as “training.”

Later, he attempted to buy a 9mm K-9 Kalashnikov rifle in July 2024 but was denied due to a prior felony record.

The court documents further detailed Teekaye’s connections with ISIS fighters in Somalia, collaborating on his travel plans.

Teekaye obtained an electronic visa for Ethiopia and a plane ticket from the ISIS fighters to travel from BWI to Somalia, with a stopover in Istanbul, Turkey, and a layover in London.

On October 10, Teekaye sent the undercover officer a photo of himself wearing a mask and holding a gun, identifying himself as “Abdullah the islamophobe slayer.”

He was arrested at BWI on October 14 after passing through security before his flight.

Following his arrest, Teekaye allegedly told FBI agents, “I’ll be out of prison in 20 years, and I’ll still be doing something here… Jihad will never stop.”

If convicted, Teekaye faces a maximum of 20 years in federal prison for attempting to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization.