United States of America v. Azizjon Rakhmatov

Case Number: 1:15-cr-00095-WFK

Judge: William F. Kuntz II

Court: United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York (King County)

Plaintiff's Attorney: Douglas M. Pravda, David K. Kessler, J. Matthew Haggans and Peter Baldwin

Defendant's Attorney: Larwence Mark Stern and James E. Neuman

Description:

Brooklyn, NY - Defendant Pleads Guilty to Conspiring to Provide Material Support to ISIS
Defendant Provided Money to Fund Travel of Co-Conspirator to Fight on Behalf of ISIS

Azizjon Rakhmatov, 32, a citizen of Uzbekistan and resident of New Haven, Connecticut, pleaded guilty to conspiring to provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization, the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS). Today’s plea took place before U.S. District Court Judge William F. Kuntz II.

John C. Demers, Assistant Attorney General for National Security; Richard P. Donoghue, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, William F. Sweeney, Jr., Assistant Director-in-Charge, FBI, New York Field Office; and James P. O’Neill, Commissioner, New York City Police Department (NYPD), made the announcement.

According to court filings, Rakhmatov’s co-defendants Abdurasul Juraboev and Akhror Saidakhmetov planned to travel to Syria to fight on behalf of ISIS. Rakhmatov and co-defendant Abror Habibov discussed providing their own money to cover Saidakhmetov’s travel expenses and to purchase a firearm for Saidakhmetov once he arrived in Syria. Rakhmatov also agreed to collect money from others to fund Saidakhmetov’s travel. On the day before Saidakhmetov’s scheduled departure, Rakhmatov transferred $400 into co-defendant Akmal Zakirov’s personal bank account to facilitate Saidakhmetov’s travel to and expenses in Syria.

Juraboev, Saidakahmetov, Habibov and Zakirov have previously pleaded guilty. Juraboev and Saidakahmetov each were sentenced to 15 years’ imprisonment. Habibov and Zakirov are awaiting sentencing. When sentenced, Rakhmatov faces up to 15 years’ imprisonment.

Assistant United States Attorneys Douglas M. Pravda, David K. Kessler, and J. Matthew Haggans are in charge of the prosecution, with assistance provided by Trial Attorney Steven Ward of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section.

Charges:

CONSPIRACY TO PROVIDE MATERIAL SUPPORT TO A FOREIGN TERRORIST ORGANIZATION
(1)
ATTEMPT TO PROVIDE MATERIAL SUPPORT TO A FOREIGN TERRORIST ORGANIZATION
(2)
CONSPIRACY TO USE A FIREARMS
(3)

Outcome: 08/09/2019 354 Letter providing notice of government's intention to call expert witnesses as to Dilkhayot Kasimov, Azizjon Rakhmatov (Haggans, Matthew) (Entered: 08/09/2019)
08/09/2019 356 Letter re: Discovery as to Dilkhayot Kasimov, Azizjon Rakhmatov (Pravda, Douglas) (Entered: 08/09/2019)

Plaintiff's Experts:

Defendant's Experts:

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