Maryland man gets 15 years for ISIS plot against Jews

A Maryland man was sentenced on Wednesday, July 8, 2026, to 15 years in federal prison for attempting to provide material support to the Islamic State (ISIS) and planning attacks targeting Jewish individuals and supporters of Israel. Michael Sam Teekaye Jr., 22, of Hanover, Maryland, also received a lifetime term of supervised release after pleading guilty to the charge in January.

According to court documents, Teekaye communicated with an undercover law enforcement officer in 2023, expressing his desire to travel to Somalia to join ISIS as a fighter. He had booked flights for a route from Maryland to London, Turkey, and Ethiopia, with the final goal of crossing into Somalia. He told the officer that if he could not join ISIS abroad, his "plan B" was to carry out an attack in the United States. Teekaye said he had researched buildings affiliated with Jewish and pro-Israel groups in his area and planned to gun down key members.

In preparation, authorities said Teekaye purchased ammunition and practiced at a shooting range in Severn, Maryland, in mid-2024. He also attempted to buy a Kalashnikov-style rifle, but the purchase was denied because he was on probation from a prior state...