Bolingbrook teen charged in ISIS case could get plea deal
Plea negotiations apparently have begun in the case of a 19-year-old Bolingbrook man charged last year with plotting to fly to the Middle East and join the Islamic State terrorist group,
Mohammed Hamzah Khan appeared with his attorney, Thomas Durkin, Thursday morning before federal Judge John Tharp. Durkin and federal prosecutors said they are having conversations to “resolve the case outside trial.”
Khan next is scheduled to appear in court Aug. 6, apparently to give Durkin time to discuss any plea possibilities with Khan and his family.
Outside of court, Durkin acknowledged negotiations have begun, but refused to disclose details.
“There have been some discussions and that's all I can tell you. I am under an obligation to speak to my client about it, so I need some time.”
Sources said federal prosecutors initiated the discussions with Durkin following an undisclosed development involving Khan's two younger siblings, who authorities say intended to join him in the Middle East.
Dressed in orange and shackled at the wrist and feet, Khan nodded to his father and an unidentified man seated with him in the courtroom.
Khan is charged in a criminal complaint with attempting to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization. According to his January indictment, between February and Oct. 4, 2014, Khan attempted to provide material support and resources, specifically personnel, to the Islamic State. The charge carries a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
Khan has been held without bail since his Oct. 4, 2014, arrest at O'Hare International Airport as he and his 17-year-old sister and 16-year-old brother attempted to board a plane to Austria. From there, they were planning to fly to Turkey, authorities said.
Investigators said Khan, who was born in the suburbs to Indian parents, left a letter in his bedroom expressing disgust with Western society. His two siblings left similar letters. In their letters, all three urged their parents not to call police.
On the day of his arrest, Khan went to O'Hare with his siblings and three round-trip tickets to Turkey that he had purchased for $2,600.
After Khan arrived at the airport, law enforcement agents watched him pass through the security screening checkpoint at O'Hare's international terminal. He initially was approached by U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers and then was interviewed for three hours by FBI agents at the airport, according to a federal complaint.
Prosecutors said Khan's siblings also were detained. The teens gave conflicting stories about why they were traveling to Turkey.
Durkin said Thursday that the teens have not been charged in the case.