A Morris County man has admitted to concealing efforts to provide material support and resources to ISIS, as announced by U.S. Attorney John Giordano, Sue Bai of the U.S. Department of Justice’s National Security Division, and FBI-Newark Acting Special Agent in Charge Terence G. Reilly.
Kyse S. Abushanab, 27, from Budd Lake, New Jersey, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Katharine S. Hayden in Newark federal court. He faced a one-count information charge for concealing material support and resources to a designated foreign terrorist organization.
“The crime that Kyse Abushanab admitted to today threatened the safety of Americans both here and abroad,” stated U.S. Attorney John Giordano. “Kyse Abushanab gathered and distributed training materials on the making and use of bombs and explosives to ISIS supporters. He concealed these activities through various means, including using encrypted messaging platforms.”
Acting Special Agent in Charge Reilly emphasized the ongoing threat posed by extremist ideologies: “At a time when terrorist attacks are fresh in the minds of Americans everywhere, this thwarted effort should serve as a warning to all ISIS and violent extremist ideologists everywhere.”
Court documents reveal that between March 2021 and January 2022, Abushanab compiled resources related to weapons of mass destruction for ISIS members and supporters. This included videos and documents detailing how to create explosive devices. To avoid detection, he used encrypted applications, untraceable email accounts, and secured cloud storage.
The charge carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a fine up to $250,000. Sentencing is set for September 24, 2025.
U.S. Attorney Giordano credited the investigation leading to this guilty plea to special agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation under Acting Special Agent in Charge Reilly's direction and the Morris County Sheriff’s Office led by Sheriff James M. Gannon.
The case is prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sammi Malek with assistance from the Department of Justice’s Counterterrorism Section.