Two Virginia-based Muslims arrested for ISIS involvement

WASHINGTON (NYP) — A Virginia man who was allegedly attempting to travel to Syria to join the Islamic State group and a man accused of helping him have been arrested.

Prosecutors said in a statement Saturday that 28-year-old Joseph Hassan Farrokh was arrested Friday at the airport in Richmond, Virginia. Officials said his ultimate destination was Syria.

Officials also arrested 25-year-old Mahmoud Amin Mohamed Elhassan, who they say drove Farrokh to Richmond. Both men are from Woodbridge, Virginia.

Farrokh, a U.S. citizen born in Pennsylvania, has been charged with attempting to provide material support and resources to a designated foreign terrorist organization. Elhassan, a legal permanent U.S. resident originally from Sudan, has been charged with helping Farrokh. They are scheduled to make their first appearance in federal court in Alexandria, Virginia, on Tuesday. Prosecutors said that if convicted, Farrokh and Elhassan each face a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison.

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