Illinois Teen Mohammed Hamzah Khan Indicted for Trying to Join ISIS

Mohammed Hamzah Khan was allegedly planning to fly to Turkey to join ISIS fighters when he was arrested at a Chicago airport in October.

SHARE THIS —

An Illinois teenager who allegedly recruited two siblings to join ISIS has been indicted for attempting to support the terror group, federal authorities said Friday. Mohammed Hamzah Khan, 19, was arrested Oct. 4 at Chicago's O'Hare International Airport, where prosecutors say he and his siblings, a 17-year-old sister and 16-year-old brother, were preparing to board the first leg of a trip to Syria. The younger siblings have not been charged.

Khan, an American citizen who lives in a suburb southwest of Chicago, was held in anticipation of his indictment by a federal grand jury, which formally handed up the charges Thursday. He was charged with a single count of attempting to provide material support to ISIS — presumably himself and his siblings. If convicted of that charge, he faces up to 15 years in prison.

IN-DEPTH

— Pete Williams and Jon Schuppe