Virginia teen sentenced to 11 Years for providing material support to ISIL

Time and again several reports and blogs have warned of the danger of bitcoin to be used for money laundering purposes and funding terrorist activities.

The United States Department of Justice sentenced a Virginia-based man to 136 months in prison for providing material support to the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), a designated foreign terrorist organization.

Ali Shukri Amin, 17, according to the Department of Justice's press release, pleaded guilty on June 11, 2015.  According to court documents, Amin admitted to using Twitter handle @Amreekiwitness, to provide instruction on how to use Bitcoin, a virtual currency, to mask the provision of funds to ISIL, as well as facilitation to ISIL supporters seeking to travel to Syria to fight with ISIL. 

Moreover, Amin admitted that he facilitated travel for Reza Niknejad, an 18-year-old Prince William County resident who travelled to Syria to join ISIL in January 2015. 

"Today's sentencing demonstrates that those who use social media as a tool to provide support and resources to ISIL will be identified and prosecuted with no less vigilance than those who travel to take up arms with ISIL," said U.S. Attorney Boente.  "The Department of Justice will continue to pursue those that travel to fight against the United States and our allies, as well as those individuals that recruit others on behalf of ISIL in the homeland."