National News

Raleigh men who sought to fight in Syria sentenced to prison

Authorities say two Raleigh men who were thwarted from traveling to either Syria or Yemen to join a jihadist group have been sentenced to federal prison.

Posted Updated
Akbar Jordan, Akba Jordan, Wake terrorism suspect
NEW BERN, N.C. — Authorities say two Raleigh men who were thwarted from traveling to either Syria or Yemen to join a jihadist group have been sentenced to federal prison.

Federal prosecutors said Tuesday that Avin Marsalis Brown and Akba Jihad Jordan, both 23, were sentenced after earlier pleading guilty to conspiracy to provide material support for terrorism.

U.S. District Judge Louise Flanagan sentenced Brown to 92 months in prison and Jordan to nine years imprisonment.

Prosecutors said the men spoke repeatedly with an FBI informant about their desire to travel overseas to fight with extremist groups including al-Qaeda and the Islamic State group.

Authorities say that, starting in 2013, the pair also discussed weapons to use for attacks. Investigators later recovered an AK-47 assault rifle and ammunition from Jordan's apartment.

The case was the subject of WRAL investigates report in 2014 when a news crew traced undercover surveillance aircraft circling a north Raleigh neighborhood where Jordan lived.

Copyright 2024 by WRAL.com and the Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.