California Man Pleads Guilty to Attempting to Provide Material Support to the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham

Ammaad Akhtar, 34, of California, pleaded guilty today to attempting to provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization.

According to court documents, between February 2025 and June 2025, Akhtar, a citizen of the United States, attempted to provide funds, weapons, and other equipment to the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS). He communicated online with an online undercover officer, whom he believed was a member of ISIS. In these conversations, Akhtar voiced his support for ISIS and jihad, expressed a desire to travel overseas to join and fight with ISIS, and stated a desire to send guns and money to ISIS.

In April 2025, during this investigation, Akhtar demonstrated a desire to provide support of ISIS and did so by providing financial funding on multiple occasions. After a few payments, the online undercover officer indicated that ISIS had procured several guns with the money Akhtar had sent. In his response, Akhtar said, "May Allah destroy our enemies" and affirmed that he will send more money that same day.

Akhtar also talked about planning acts of violence, including conducting an attack against a specific individual and an attack utilizing homemade explosives. He said that he "want[s] to die in the cause of Allah fighting the kuffar [infidels]" and asked for instructions on how to make a homemade explosive device in order "to make a boom" at a populated event.

Then, on June 23, 2025, Akhtar met with an individual he believed was an ISIS associate, but who was actually an undercover agent. Akhtar provided clothing, binoculars, $400 cash, two loaded guns, and six additional magazines. Akhtar then swore bayat (a pledge of loyalty) to ISIS.

Akhtar is scheduled to be sentenced on Feb. 26, 2027. He faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

The FBI Field Offices in New York and Sacramento and the New York City Police Department conducted the investigation.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Elliot Wong and Charles Campbell for the Eastern District of California and Trial Attorney Ryan D. White of the National Security Division's Counterterrorism Section are prosecuting the case.