Öykü Altuntaş / Istanbul, March 10 () - Turkey's cooperation with U.S. prosecutors and the FBI helped to find Air Force veteran who is member of the Islamic State (IS) guilty, announced the U.S. Department of Justice.
According to the written statement released via the Department's website on March 10, an American citizen and veteran of the United States Air Force was found guilty of attempting to provide material support to the IS.
“As presented in trial, Tairod Nathan Webster Pugh was willing to become a martyr, using his U.S. military training as a weapon for ISIL (IS)" stated FBI Assistant Director-in-Charge Rodriguez.
"On January 10, 2015, the defendant traveled from Egypt to Turkey in an effort to cross the border into Syria to join ISIL to engage in violent 'jihad'. Turkish authorities denied the defendant entry, however, and returned him to Egypt" the statement said.
"At the time of his detention, the defendant was carrying a laptop computer and four USB thumb drives that he had stripped of their plastic casings in an effort to destroy their contents and thereby make them unavailable to investigators. The defendant also was carrying solar power chargers, compasses, and a black ski mask" it added. The defendant’s laptop contained Internet searches for “borders controlled by Islamic state” and propaganda videos of the IS.
Meanwhile, "Close cooperation of U.S. prosecutors and FBI with Turkish police secures guilty verdict against U.S. member of ISIL" tweeted US Embassy to Turkey.
