Ammaad Akhtar, 34, pleaded guilty to attempting to provide material support to the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS) after discussing an attack and seeking explosive-making instructions, prosecutors said.
The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) said Akhtar sought instructions for making an explosive to use at a populated event. Prosecutors also said he discussed attacking a particular person, whom the plea announcement did not identify.
Akhtar communicated online with an undercover officer from February through June 2025, believing the officer belonged to ISIS, the DOJ said. Prosecutors said Akhtar made multiple payments in April 2025. The officer told Akhtar that the group had put his funds toward buying guns, according to the department.
On June 23, 2025, Akhtar handed an undercover agent $400, two loaded guns, six additional magazines, binoculars and clothing, the DOJ said. Akhtar believed the agent was linked to ISIS and pledged loyalty to the group after the handover.
A DOJ charging announcement said Akhtar was arrested on June 24, 2025, when he was 33. The investigation involved FBI offices in New York and Sacramento and the New York City Police Department, according to the plea announcement.
The DOJ did not name the person Akhtar discussed targeting. JNS reported in 2025, citing the criminal complaint, that Akhtar described following a Jewish man he believed had served in the Israeli military. The man’s military service is unverified.
The plea is for attempted material support; the DOJ announcement does not report a separate conviction for an attack or attempted murder. U.S. District Judge Dena Coggins is scheduled to sentence Akhtar on Feb. 26, 2027. The offense carries a maximum of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Coggins will determine the actual penalty under federal sentencing guidelines and other applicable factors, the department said.
