By ZEINAB NAJM
Times-Herald Newspapers
DEARBORN — A Dearborn man charged last July with supporting ISIS was charged April 10 with additional offenses, including receiving military training from ISIS, according to a U.S. Department of Justice press release.
Ibraheem Musaibli, 28, was charged with additional offenses of conspiring to provide material support to Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham, possessing and discharging a machine gun in furtherance of a crime of violence, and receiving military-type training from ISIS.
If convicted of the new charges, he could face 40 years to life in prison. Musaibli is scheduled to be arraigned on the superseding inducement in the U.S. District Court for Eastern District of Michigan.
According to the new indictment, Musaibli allegedly knowingly provided and attempted to provide material support to ISIS, in the form of personnel and services, knowing that ISIS is a terrorist organization and that ISIS engages in terrorism from April 2015 to June 2018.
“The superseding indictment against Musaibli adds charges to more fully capture his conduct while with ISIS for some two and one-half years,” U.S. Attorney Matthew Schneider said in a press release. “The superseding indictment alleges that, during that substantial period of time, Musaibli provided material support to ISIS, conspired with others to provide support to ISIS, possessed and fired a machine gun in support of ISIS, and attended an ISIS military training camp. This superseding indictment reflects our commitment to prosecute anyone who supports terrorists to the full extent of the law.”
Also, the indictment lists five other aliases under Musaibli’s name that federal officials say he used, including Abu Shifa Musaibli, Abu ‘Abd Al-Rahman Al-Yemeni, Abu Abdallah Al Yemeni, Abdallah Umar Al-Salih, and Ibraheem ‘Izd ‘Umar Salih Musaibad.
“The United States is committed to holding accountable its citizens who leave this country in order to support ISIS,” Assistant Attorney General Demers said in the press release. “As alleged in the indictment, the defendant traveled overseas, joined ISIS, and received training from the terrorist organization. He was ultimately detained overseas and turned over to the FBI.
“With these charges, he will be held accountable for his crimes. I want to thank all of those who are responsible for this investigation and prosecution.”
Musaibli is a natural-born U.S. citizen who was detained overseas by Syrian Democratic Forces and was transferred into U.S. custody following initial charges in July. His tie to Dearborn is from attending Edsel Ford High School where he dropped out to work at his father’s perfume store.
Musaibli is married and has four children who all live in Yemen and Pennsylvania.
The U.S. Department of Justice press release said Musaibli was previously indicted with providing and attempting to provide material support to the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham, a designated foreign terrorist organization.
“By traveling to Syria to train and fight as a member of ISIS, Mr. Musaibli fought against coalition forces, which included members of the U.S. Military,” FBI Special Agent in Charge Slater said in a press release. “This case is a testament to the tireless efforts of the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force which remains committed to detecting, thwarting, and bringing to justice individuals like Mr. Musaibli who allegedly provided material support to and fought on behalf of a designated foreign terrorist organization.”
In July, Musaibli pleaded not guilty to providing and attempting to provide material support to ISIS; no bond was issued. Musaibli’s family told the Detroit News that he is not a terrorist and that the FBI failed to help free him from the Islamic State.
At the time, his younger brother Abdullah Musaibli told the Detroit News that Musaibli traveled to Iraq and Yemen to help refugees and their families. The Detroit News also reported that, “Musaibli was taken into custody by Syrian Democratic Forces in July while trying to flee the Middle Euphrates River Valley in northern Syria.”
Musabli’s case is being investigated by the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Cathleen M. Corken and Kevin M. Mulcahy of the Eastern District of Michigan with assistance from the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section.
(Zeinab Najm can be reached at [email protected].)