New Jersey man admits he conspired to provide material support to ISIL

NEWARK, N.J. — A Hudson County man pleaded in federal court Thursday to charges he conspired to provide material support to the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), a designated foreign terrorist organization.

This guilty plea resulted from an investigation by the FBI's Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF), with the assistance of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).

Alaa Saadeh, 24, of West New York, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiring with others to provide material support to ISIL. He remains detained without bail.

According to court documents, Saadeh admitted that prior to his arrest June 29, 2015, by the JTTF, he planned to travel overseas to join ISIL along with others. Saadeh discussed the plans to join ISIL with his brother, Nader Saadeh, Samuel Rahamin Topaz, and Munther Omar Saleh, and admitted that at various times each of them indicated that they wanted to join ISIL. Saadeh also admitted he watched ISIL-related videos with Nader Saadeh and Topaz, some of which depicted the execution of individuals – both Muslim and non-Muslim – regarded by ISIL as enemies.

On May 5, 2015, Saadeh’s brother, Nader Saadeh, departed the United States with plans to travel overseas to join ISIL as part of the conspiracy, according to Alaa Saadeh’s statements in court today.  Saadeh admitted assisting his brother with these plans by letting him purchase airline tickets using Saadeh’s credit card and by removing the SIM card from Nader’s smartphone and resetting the smartphone in an effort to avoid detection.  Saadeh admitted that Saleh assisted Nader Saadeh by giving him a contact who would facilitate Nader’s travel from Turkey to ISIL in Syria.

Saadeh admitted that after Nader Saadeh left the United States, Saleh and Topaz intended to travel overseas to join ISIL. After becoming aware that the JTTF was investigating this matter, Saadeh instructed an individual who knew of Nader Saadeh’s support for ISIL to lie to the JTTF if the individual was interviewed.  Saadeh told this individual to “just play stupid,” “pretend it never happened,” and “keep it honest up to a point.”

Saadeh admitted knowing that ISIL was a designated terrorist organization and was taking over territory overseas, expelling non-Muslims from their homes, and executing individuals who did not obey ISIL’s commands.

The count to which Saadeh pleaded guilty to carries a maximum potential penalty of 15 years in prison and a fine of $250,000.  Sentencing is scheduled for Feb. 16, 2016.