A 27-year-old man living in the Bay Ridge section of Brooklyn was charged Friday for providing monetary support to terrorists. Agron Hasbajrami, an Albanian citizen, assisted terrorists and planned to join their radical efforts abroad, according to the New York Times.

Prosecutors reported Friday that Hasbajrami was arrested Tuesday as he attempted to board a flight to Istanbul using a one-way ticket at Kennedy International Airport. His destination was Pakistan, where Hasbajrami intended to join a jihadist organization.

According to The New York Times, Hasbajrami, who had been living legally in Brooklyn since 2008, send more than $1,000 to Pakistan over the past year with the intention that the money be used to support terrorist activity. Hasbajrami told his contact in Pakistan that he wanted to “marry with the girls in paradise,” a common reference to dying as a martyr while fighting jihad.

After his arrest, Federal Bureau of Investigation agents found several handwritten notes in his residence, including one that said, “Do not wait for invasion, the time is martyrdom time,” prosecutors said. On Thursday Hasbajrami was by a grand jury. He was to be arraigned before Judge Lois Bloom of United States District Court in Brooklyn on Friday afternoon.

A defense lawyer had not yet been assigned, reported the New York Times. “The vigilance of law enforcement has resulted in the capture of another alleged aspiring terrorist bent on traveling overseas for violent jihad,” said Loretta Lynch, U.S. Attorney in Brooklyn. “We will spare no effort in stopping terrorists before they strike.”

According to the detention order, e-mails intercepted by the F.B.I. revealed that Hasbarjami had planned to leave the country in August but cancelled the flight because he thought he might be caught. In other e-mails, Hasbarjami’s contact in Pakistan instructed him to bring money for food and a weapon.

According to The Wall Street Journal, if Hasbajrami is convicted of the change of providing material support to terrorists, he faces up to 15 years in prison. Prosecutors are expected to ask that he be held without bail.

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About the author

Mary Duke
My interests are publishing, literature, storytelling, current events and multimedia. I am concerned with issues of social justice and encouraging community engagement. I am pursuing a Master's in arts administration. I enjoy reading, writing and hiking.