A 28-year-old ISIS supporter named David Daoud Wright has been convicted of supporting ISIS, conspiracy to commit acts of terror and obstructing justice. According to investigators, Wright conspired to commit an act of terror together with his two co-conspirators that transpired across national boundaries.

Wright's plans

Wright began planning to kill non-believers in the US in February 2015. Together with his two co-conspirators, he recruited others to help him accomplish his "martyrdom operation" by creating a Twitter page. According to investigators, he even began conducting internet searches on topics such as firearms, the effect of tranquilizers on people and the creation of the militia in the US.

One of Wright's co-conspirators named Rahim was also communicating with an ISIS supporter in Syria named Hassan, who was later killed in an airstrike.

Wright and his two ISIS supporters were planning to conduct an attack in New York on behalf of ISIS. Rahim was shot and killed by law enforcers in Roslindale, Massachusetts on June 2, 2015, after he tried to attack a police officer with a knife. Investigators later learned that Wright deleted his computer data and mobile phone logs after learning that the police had killed Rahim.

According to the South China Morning Post, Wright, and his co-conspirators also planned to behead Pamela Geller; a conservative US blogger, for organizing a Prophet Muhammad cartoon contest in Texas in 2015.

Information from the Justice Department

According to the United States Justice Department, supporting a terrorist organization such as ISIS carries a maximum sentence of 20 years and a fine of $250,000. A detainee will also be supervised after release. The United States Acting Assistant Attorney said that "Wright wanted to support ISIS by killing innocent citizens and by waging violence against the US government in support for ISIS." Acting U.S.

Attorney Weinreb noted that Wright supported ISIS despite being born and raised in the US. Boente and Weinreb also thanked investigators who took part in his arrest.

ISIS in the US

ISIS supporters continue to operate in the US. The majority of them use the internet to communicate and recruit new members. Some travel to countries such as Syria through Turkey to conduct training and to receive guidance from their mentors.

Investigators in the US have successfully used internet surveillance tools to deter advances by these terrorists.