A man from Virginia, United States, named Mohammed Azharuddin Chhipa has been sentenced to more than 30 years in prison. He was found guilty of sending over $185,000 in cryptocurrency to a terrorist group known as ISIS (Islamic State of Iraq and Syria).
David Novak, a federal judge, sentenced Azharuddin to 30 years and four months in prison on May 07, 2025, and the Department of Justice revealed the information on May 8.
According to data released by the Department of Justice, between October 2019 and October 2022, the 35-year-old Azharuddin Chhipa collected and sent funds to a woman linked to ISIS in Syria.
Chhipa helped the members of ISIS escape from prison
It is worth noting that the funds sent by Chippa enabled them to escape prison camps and supported the group’s violent activities. The DOJ notes that the accused man has raised the funds through social media, taken online payments, and even traveled for long distances to collect the funds in person.
Following the collection of funds, it was sent to Turkey, where it was smuggled into Syria to help ISIS members, including women escaping prison camps. In December, a federal jury found him guilty of conspiring to support a terrorist organization and four other related charges.
In the official statement, Pam Bondi Attorney General said, “ This defendant directly financed ISIS in its efforts to commit vile terrorist atrocities against innocent citizens in America and abroad,” he added “ This severe sentence illustrates that if you fund terrorism, we will prosecute you and put you behind bars for decades.”
As per the FBI, Chhipa, the accused, has tried to escape from investigation and has also tried to hide the illicit activities that he committed. In August 2019, the FBI conducted a search investigation at his house, and the same night, he went to the bank to withdraw $1,800 from the ATM.
Another similar ISIS crypto funding case includes Zoobia Shahnaz, a New York-based woman who sent more than $150,000 in cryptocurrencies to ISIS and was sentenced to 13 years in jail in March 2020.
Shahnaz unlawfully secured a $22,500 loan between March and June 2017 and used stolen credit card data to buy $62,000 worth of Bitcoin and other crypto. Intending to join ISIS in Syria, she laundered this cash to support the organization.
Shahnaz was accused of money laundering, bank fraud, and giving material support to a terrorist group operating abroad. After volunteering with the Syrian American Medical Society in Jordan, where ISIS had a big impact, she was captured.
