A federal district court sentenced Abdisatar Ahmed Hassan, 23, of Minneapolis, to 102 months in prison and 15 years of supervised release for attempting to provide material support and resources to the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS), according to a May 7 announcement by U.S. Attorney Daniel N. Rosen.
The case highlights ongoing efforts by law enforcement agencies to address threats posed by individuals seeking to join or assist foreign terrorist organizations. ISIS has been designated as a foreign terrorist organization by the U.S. Secretary of State since 2014.
Court documents show that Hassan began consuming ISIS-related content in at least 2024, including downloading propaganda videos and manuals on making explosives and ammunition. He also communicated extensively with ISIS recruiters in Somalia through social media, expressed his desire for jihad publicly online, and researched weapons and attacks associated with ISIS supporters.
In December 2024, after quitting his job and liquidating his savings, Hassan attempted twice to travel from Minneapolis to Somalia with the intention of joining ISIS fighters but was stopped first due to lack of travel documents at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport and later interviewed by Customs and Border Protection agents in Chicago who prevented further travel after he admitted supporting ISIS ideology.
After returning home, Hassan continued posting pro-ISIS content online—including praise for a deadly January 1, 2025 attack in New Orleans—and created videos displaying an ISIS flag and knife before being arrested on February 27, 2025. He pleaded guilty on September 29 that year before Judge Donovan W. Frank.
"Abdisatar Hassan took active steps in an attempt to join and support ISIS—a brutal foreign terrorist organization responsible for the violent deaths of thousands of innocent people," said FBI Minneapolis Division Special Agent in Charge Christopher D. Dotson. "Hassan celebrated the 2025 murder of 14 innocent Americans in New Orleans—a senseless attack on American soil, attempted to travel in order to take up arms on behalf of ISIS, and when unable to get to his destination, promoted ISIS and al-Shabaab propaganda encouraging others to fight against the United States. The sentence handed down today takes a would-be terrorist off the streets and sends a clear message that the FBI and our partners will unremittingly pursue anyone seeking to join or support a foreign terrorist organization."
This case resulted from investigations conducted by the FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force along with Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Tactical Terrorism Response Team as well as assistance from National Security Division Counterterrorism Section Trial Attorney Eric Hanson.
The U.S. Attorney for the District of Minnesota prosecutes federal crimes—including terrorism cases—handles civil litigation for the government, operates under the Department of Justice since its establishment in 1849 with offices serving all parts of Minnesota through locations such as Minneapolis federal courthouses; it employs about 140 staff including over seventy attorneys who work alongside law enforcement partners across public safety initiatives according to its official website.
