Upper St. Clair Man Who Traveled to Lebanon and Syria with Goal of Joining Hizballah Indicted on Terrorism Offense and for Lying to FBI

PITTSBURGH, Pa. - A former resident of Upper St. Clair, Pennsylvania, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on charges of attempting to support the foreign terrorist organization Hizballah and making false statements involving international terrorism to a department or agency of the United States, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today.

The three-count Indictment names Jack Danaher Molloy, 24, formerly of the Upper St. Clair suburb of Pittsburgh, as the sole defendant. Molloy was previously charged on December 6, 2024, by way of Criminal Complaint with the false statement charges, with much of the conduct underlying the charges in the Indictment set forth in the Complaint Affidavit. Read the full affidavit filed in support of the Criminal Complaint against Molloy here. The Indictment is available here. Molloy was arrested in Chicago, Illinois, on December 6, 2024, and transported by the United States Marshals Service to Pittsburgh on December 30, 2024.

As alleged in the Indictment and Complaint Affidavit, from in and around August 2024 through in and around December 2024, in Lebanon, Syria, the Western District of Pennsylvania, and elsewhere, Molloy attempted to provide material support and resources-namely, personnel (including himself) and services-to Hizballah, a foreign terrorist organization (FTO), knowing that the organization was a designated terrorist organization and that the organization had engaged in and was engaging in terrorist activity and terrorism. As outlined in the court documents, Hizballah, also commonly spelled Hezbollah, was formed in the wake of the 1982 Israeli invasion of Lebanon and has conducted numerous terrorist attacks against Israeli and Western targets, including against American military and diplomatic personnel.

As alleged, Molloy-a dual citizen of the United States and Ireland, who previously served on active-duty status in the U.S. Army-traveled to Lebanon in August 2024 and attempted to join Hizballah. While in Lebanon, Molloy was told by multiple individuals that the time was not right, and that he needed to take other steps before he could join the terrorist organization. Molloy then traveled from Lebanon to Syria in October 2024 in an effort to fight for Hizballah in Syria. After returning to the United States, Molloy resided in Upper St. Clair, where he continued his attempts to join Hizballah, including through communication with individuals online and in Lebanon. During his time in the United States and abroad, Molloy also allegedly expressed his hatred toward, and promoted violence against, Jewish people. Molloy's alleged animus toward Jews was also evidenced by multiple images and videos on his electronic devices and the usernames he chose for his social media and email accounts, including the username "KIKEKILLER313" on the social media platform X. In one alleged WhatsApp exchange with a family member, Molloy agreed that his "master plan was to join Hezbollah and kill Jews." And while he was residing in Upper St. Clair, Molloy also allegedly visited a website detailing the possible incarceration location of Robert Bowers, who carried out the Pittsburgh Tree of Life Synagogue shooting during which he murdered 11 Jewish worshippers.

The Indictment further alleges that, upon arriving at the Pittsburgh International Airport on October 20, 2024, Molloy lied to agents of the FBI when he told them (1) that he had no current or future plans to become involved with Hizballah, and (2) that he had no business in, nor was he meeting with anyone, in Syria. These statements and representations were false because Molloy knew at that time that (1) he did have current and future plans to become involved with Hizballah and (2) Molloy travelled to Syria in furtherance of his attempts to join Hizballah, and while in Syria, set up a meeting with an individual there.

"As alleged, Jack Molloy, an avowed adherent of Hizballah harboring deep-seated animus against Jews, took many steps over a period of months-at home and abroad-in his effort to join and fight for this deadly foreign terrorist organization," said U.S. Attorney Olshan. "This case is yet another sobering reminder of the threat of radicalized violence against Americans. And while the defendant appears to have worked hard to achieve his terrorist goals, today's charges demonstrate that the resolve of our office and our partners in law enforcement is stronger. We will continue working every day to ensure that members of the Jewish community and every other community in this country can live their lives without fear that they will be targeted by a hate-fueled terrorist attack."

"The FBI's number one priority is to protect the American people from both domestic and international terrorist threats," said FBI Pittsburgh Special Agent in Charge Kevin Rojek. "To achieve that end, the FBI will leverage the entirety of our resources, partnerships, and all applicable laws to bring to justice anyone who seeks to support or aid any foreign terror organizations, especially groups as deadly as Hizballah."

The maximum sentence for the material support offense is a term of imprisonment of 20 years, a fine of $250,000, or both. Each of the false statement charges carries a maximum sentence of eight years in prison, a $250,000 fine, or both. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.

Assistant United States Attorney Nicole Vasquez Schmitt is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.

The Pittsburgh and Chicago offices of the Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation leading to the Indictment, with substantial assistance following Molloy's arrest on the Criminal Complaint from the United States Marshals Service.

An indictment and a criminal complaint are accusations. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.