Naturalized U.S. citizen indicted for providing material support to ISIS

Ruslan Maratovich Asainov, a naturalized U.S. citizen from Kazakhstan, residing in Brooklyn, was indicted on September 3rd with “conspiracy to provide material support to ISIS; providing material support to ISIS in the form of personnel, training, expert advice and assistance and weapons; receipt of military-type training from ISIS; and obstruction of justice.”

According to the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), it is alleged that on December 2013, Asainov took a one-way ticket to Istanbul, Turkey while making his way to Syria to join ISIS. He made it to Syria and received training from ISIS to become a sniper.

During his occupation with ISIS, he eventually rose through the ranks and became a trainer for other ISIS members. Additionally, Asainov had tried to recruit another U.S. citizen and had attempted to convince this citizen to travel to Syria and join ISIS.

In March 2015, the DOJ reports that Asainov was found asking a confidential informant just shy of $3,000 for a new scope. He, then, sent photos of himself to this informant that depict him holding an assault rifle fitted with the scope. He later sent the message, “we are the worst terrorist organization in the world that has ever existed” to another individual and said that he wished to die on the battlefield.

If indicted, 43-year-old Asainov faces a maximum sentence of life in prison.