American Pleads Guilty in ISIS Case Involving Plot to Kill Jewish Worshipper
Ammaad Akhtar, 34, faces up to 20 years in prison after admitting attempted support for ISIS. The investigation also uncovered threats against Jews and Christians and a reported plan to murder a man he believed had served in Israel's military.
A California man has pleaded guilty to attempting to provide material support to ISIS after an undercover investigation uncovered weapons transfers and discussions about killing a Jewish worshipper and bombing a crowded event.
Ammaad Akhtar, an American citizen from Stockton, entered his plea on October 30. Federal prosecutors said he spent months trying to supply ISIS with money, firearms and equipment, unaware that the people he believed were terrorist contacts were working undercover.
Following a man who attended synagogue
Akhtar's discussions about violence included a specific target: a man he said attended a synagogue on Saturdays.
According to JNS reporting on the criminal complaint, Akhtar told his undercover contact that he was following the worshipper to discover where he lived. He claimed the man had served in the Israeli military.
"Tell me what I can do once I find out where this Israeli soldier lives," Akhtar wrote, according to Ynet.
He suggested killing the man at an unrelated location so the attack would appear to be an ordinary crime.
Threats against Jews and Christians
The complaint also described threats to behead Jews and Christians, JNS reported. Akhtar told his contact that he regularly carried a knife and a firearm.
His discussions extended beyond the individual he was following. Prosecutors said he requested instructions for making a homemade explosive device to attack a populated event and expressed a desire to die fighting people he described as infidels.
Alongside those discussions, he said he wanted to travel overseas to join ISIS and fight for the terrorist organization. His online communications with a person he believed was an ISIS member began in February 2025, according to the Justice Department.
Guns, cash and a pledge of allegiance
By April 2025, Akhtar was making payments intended to support ISIS, prosecutors said. When his undercover contact told him the money had been used to buy guns, he welcomed the news and promised to send more.
On June 23, Akhtar met a person he believed was an ISIS associate. That person was also working undercover. Akhtar handed over two loaded firearms, six additional magazines, binoculars, clothing and $400 in cash, then pledged allegiance to ISIS.
Federal authorities announced his arrest and the criminal charge the following day.
Sentencing set for February
Akhtar is scheduled to appear before U.S. District Judge Dena Coggins for sentencing on February 26, 2027. He faces a maximum of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
The FBI's Sacramento and New York field offices and the New York City Police Department conducted the investigation.
