# U.S. prosecutions of ISIS-related material support

> Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/us-prosecutions-of-isis-related-material-support
> Updated: 2026-09-16T16:36:14.000Z. Sources: 7. Developments: 2.

U.S. federal courts have issued significant prison sentences to individuals involved in providing material support to Islamic State affiliates.

Ahmad Khalil Elshazly, a Connecticut resident who pleaded guilty to attempting to join ISIS, faces a requested sentence of 15 years in prison. Prosecutors noted Elshazly attempted to travel to Syria via Turkey and managed a Discord server used to spread extremist content. Authorities also cited the discovery of plans for an inmate uprising in his cell in August 2025.

In a separate case, Mohammad Sharifullah was sentenced to 20 years in a Virginia federal court for aiding ISIS-K. While a jury did not reach a unanimous decision regarding his direct responsibility for the August 2021 Abbey Gate suicide bombing in Kabul, prosecutors asserted he scouted the route for the attack. Judge Anthony Trenga described Sharifullah as a ‘dedicated terrorist’ during the proceedings.

## Claims

- Judge Anthony Trenga described Mohammad Sharifullah as a 'dedicated terrorist' who showed no remorse. (corroborated by 3 sources)
- Prosecutors stated Sharifullah's role was scouting a route to Hamid Karzai International Airport. (corroborated by 3 sources)
- Mohammad Sharifullah was sentenced to 20 years in prison. (corroborated by 3 sources)
- The conviction was for providing material support to the ISIS-K affiliate. (corroborated by 3 sources)
- The August 26, 2021, suicide bombing at Kabul airport killed 13 U.S. service members and approximately 160 Afghans. (corroborated by 3 sources)
- A federal jury in Virginia convicted Sharifullah in April. (corroborated by 3 sources)
- Jurors could not reach a consensus on whether Sharifullah was responsible for the specific airport bombing. (corroborated by 3 sources)
- Sharifullah requested a 17-year prison sentence. (single source)

## Timeline

### 2026-09-16: Mohammad Sharifullah sentenced to 20 years for aiding ISIS-K

An Afghan man, Mohammad Sharifullah, was sentenced to 20 years in prison for providing material support to ISIS-K, following the 2021 Kabul airport suicide bombing.

5 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/mohammad-sharifullah-sentenced-to-20-years-for-aiding-isis-k

### 2026-08-31: Ahmad Khalil Elshazly faces 15 years for attempting to join ISIS

The U.S. Department of Justice is seeking a 15-year prison sentence for Ahmad Khalil Elshazly for attempting to join ISIS and providing material support to the group.

2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/ahmad-khalil-elshazly-faces-15-years-for-attempting-to-join-isis

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Cite as: U.S. prosecutions of ISIS-related material support. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/us-prosecutions-of-isis-related-material-support