A convicted child sex offender was arrested at O’Hare International Airport on Tuesday and charged with trying to join ISIS.
Joshua Van Haften
Joshua Van Haften, 34, was arrested after arriving in Chicago from Turkey.
ABC7 reported:
The latest in a string of arrests of Americans on terror charges went down Tuesday night at O’Hare International Airport in Chicago.
Joshua Van Haften, 34, of Dane County, Wisconsin, was taken into custody by the FBI when he arrived in Chicago on a flight from Turkey.
Federal law enforcement officials say Van Haften will make an initial appearance in federal court in Madison. He is charged with attempting to provide material support and resources – namely himself – to a foreign terrorist organization, prosecutors say. A conviction in the case carries a maximum 15 years in federal prison.
Van Haften, a convicted child sex offender, left Chicago on Aug. 26, 2014, and traveled to Istanbul, Turkey. Turkey is known to be the favored entry point into Syria for those hoping to join ISIS fighters.
“Van Haften traveled overseas for the alleged purpose of joining and attempting to provide material support to ISIL,” said Assistant U.S. Attorney General John Carlin in a statement. “Stemming the flow of foreign fighters to Iraq and Syria, and holding accountable those who attempt to provide material support to designated foreign terrorist organizations, remains a top priority for the National Security Division.”
