FBI accuses Chicago man of trying to join ISIS

The FBI on Monday accused a Chicago man of trying to join the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS).

After arresting him Saturday night at O’Hare International Airport, the agency charged 19-year-old Mohammed Hamzah Khan with attempting to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization.

{mosads}Agents searched Khan’s house and found documents mentioning ISIS and jihad, as well as a letter to his parents telling them not to tell police about his trip and inviting them to “join me in the Islamic State,” according to the FBI complaint. 

Khan allegedly told the FBI he planned to meet with a contact in Istanbul who would take him to ISIS militants.

Khan’s charge carries a maximum sentence of 15 years in jail and a $250,000 fine. He’ll stay in federal custody until a court hearing Thursday morning.

Khan is not the first American to be charged with trying to support ISIS. In September, the FBI arrested a New York man on charges of plotting to kill U.S. soldiers and help recruit for the group.

The United States is leading a coalition effort to destroy ISIS, which holds a large swath of territory in Iraq and Syria and has released videos of militants beheading American and British captives.

FBI Director James Comey said Sunday on CBS’s “60 Minutes” that there about a dozen Americans fighting in Syria for terrorist groups. He added that while citizens are allowed to return to the U.S. as long as their passports are not revoked, the agency will “track them very carefully.”

–This post has been updated.