Federal prosecutors announced on Friday that they arrested and charged a 33-year-old Albanian national for allegedly attempting to provide support to ISIS and distributing instructions on how to build bombs.
Authorities said that Erald Alimehmeti, who has a U.S. citizenship and used to live in the Bronx, moved back to Albania in 2014 and did two stints in the prison there — from 2015-2019 and 2020-2022.
“Erald Alimehmeti not only allegedly attempted to provide material support to ISIS by trying to recruit and train who he believed to be like minded individuals online, but also repeatedly shared multiple instructions on how to make explosives for use in a terrorist attack,” said FBI Assistant Director in Charge James E. Dennehy.
In between his prison terms, Alimehmeti allegedly created multiple online accounts on social media and encrypted messaging apps that he used to communicate with others about his desire to carry out terrorist attacks for ISIS. He expressed interest in attacks similar to what the D.C. sniper committed in 2002.
He regularly posted ISIS propaganda online that praised the terrorist group’s leaders.
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He also allegedly posted videos showing ISIS terrorists killing American soldiers stationed in Africa and wrote: “The Islamic State in Africa killing crusaders, American and French special forces. Look at how the US special forces scream before they die!!! Hahaha!”
Alimehmeti allegedly worked to compile and distribute resources on how to produce explosives that would be used in terrorist attacks.
He was charged with one count of attempting to provide material support to ISIS and one count of distributing information about bomb making in furtherance of committing a violent federal crime.
If convicted, each count carries up to a 20-year prison sentence.
