Alexander Justin White, 30, of Durham, N.C., has been sentenced to eight years in federal prison for attempting to join and provide support to the Islamic State, a designated foreign terrorist organization.
White pleaded guilty to conspiring to provide and attempting to provide material support to ISIS, according to court records. He was sentenced to 96 months in prison followed by a lifetime term of supervised release.
Prosecutors said that between May and October 2024, White used social media and encrypted messaging applications to express support for ISIS, sought to raise funds for the group and discussed traveling overseas to join its ranks. In messages about his plans, “indicated that he wanted to be a ‘mujahid,’ which means someone who commits jihad.”
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of North Carolina, White purchased equipment for use overseas and was arrested on Dec. 4, 2024, at Raleigh-Durham International Airport while attempting to board a flight to Morocco, where prosecutors said he intended to join ISIS.
“White planned to abandon his family, betray his country and fly to Morocco to actively fight with the terrorist group ISIS,” said Reid Davis, the FBI Special Agent in Charge in North Carolina. “Thankfully, the FBI Raleigh-Durham Joint Terrorism Task Force intervened and arrested him at the airport before he could board his flight.”
“It cannot be overstated that ISIS continues to pose a threat to U.S. interests, both domestically and abroad,” Davis stated. “We must continue to be vigilant to prevent ISIS-inspired terrorism.”
