The Extremism Roundup

Islamist Extremism

Women queue to receive humanitarian aid packages at the Kurdish-run al-Hol camp in Syria, which held relatives of suspected Islamic State group fighters, August 18, 2021 - DELIL SOULEIMAN/AFP via Getty Images

Virginia Man Charged for Sending Money to ISIS Women

• Mohammed Azharuddin Chhipa from Fairfax County, Va., has been charged with providing material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization after allegedly wiring thousands of dollars to Islamic State women overseas.

• Chhipa purchased $172,000 in virtual currency and collected $15,000 in digital funds from others, with more than $18,000 allegedly going to wallets used by ISIS women in Syria.

• Chhipa communicated frequently with a British-born woman and member of the Islamic State living in Syria, with the two discussing moving money overseas in a way that might avoid detection.

• Chhipa had been using social media to fundraise for women in the al-Hol refugee camp since 2019, claiming the money was for shelter.

• Chhipa faces up to 20 years in prison if convicted and is being held in jail pending trial. Read More

Former Neo-Nazi Pleads Guilty to Murdering Roommates After They Disrespected Islam

• Tampa man Devon Arthurs pleaded guilty to killing his roommates six years ago, reducing the first-degree murder charges to second-degree.
• Arthurs will serve a total of 45 years in prison and 15 years of probation when released, and undergo a psychological evaluation after serving his prison time.
• Arthurs told police he and his roommates were neo-Nazi believers, but he converted to the Muslim faith and turned on his roommates after they disrespected his new religion.
• Arthurs' attorneys plan to use the insanity defense, stating he knew what he was doing, but didn't know it was wrong because he suffered from a mental disease. Read More

Alt-Right & Alt-Left Extremism

People write messages on memorials at Allen Premium Outlets mall, where a shooter killed eight people on May 6 - Joe Raedle/Getty Images

Authorities Allege Texas Mall Shooter Neo-Nazi

• Eight people were killed and seven injured in a mass shooting at a shopping center in Allen, Texas, last week. The shooter was identified as 33-year-old Mauricio Garcia.

• Authorities have not released a motive, but said Garcia may have had white supremacist or neo-Nazi beliefs.

• Garcia had multiple weapons on him and in his car, including an AR-15-style weapon, and a patch on his chest read “RWDS,” which stands for Right Wing Death Squad.

• Children were among the victims, and several people remain in critical condition. Read More

Jury Convicts Proud Boys for Jan. 6 Felonies

• Five members of the Proud Boys were found guilty of multiple felonies, with four of them guilty of seditious conspiracy for their actions before and during the U.S. Capitol breach on Jan. 6, 2021.
• The defendants were found guilty of plotting to oppose the lawful transfer of presidential power and prevent Congress and federal law enforcement officers from discharging their duties.
• The defendants include Henry “Enrique” Tarrio, Ethan Nordean, Joseph Biggs, Zachary Rehl, and Dominic Pezzola.
• The defendants were also found guilty of obstruction of an official proceeding, conspiracy to prevent Members of Congress and federal law enforcement officers from discharging their duties, civil disorder, and destruction of government property. Read More

 Hate Crimes

Darion Ray Sexton - Larimer County Sheriff's Office via CBS Colorado screenshot

Colorado Man Pleads Guilty to Church Arson

• Darion Ray Sexton, 22, pleaded guilty to a hate crime charge for setting fire to a church in Loveland, Colo., in January by throwing two Molotov cocktails at the church.

• Sexton admitted that he was motivated to set the fire due to the religious character of the church and that he intended to destroy it.

• Sexton faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Read More

Minnesota Man Indicted for Mosque Arson

• Jackie Rahm Little, 36, was indicted on one count of arson and one count of damage to religious property for setting fire to a mosque in Minnesota.

• Little allegedly started a fire in the bathroom of the Masjid Omar Islamic Center on April 23 and another fire at the Masjid Al-Rahma on April 24.

• The second fire broke out on the third floor of the mosque, and the building was evacuated.

• Little was captured on surveillance video entering the Masjid Al-Rahma shortly before the fire broke out. Read More

School Threats

Frisco ISD school building, Frisco, Texas - via WFAA screenshot

Texas Police Investigate Online Threats to Schools

• Frisco Police Department in Frisco, Texas, is investigating a social media post threatening possible violence at multiple middle school campuses within the Frisco ISD school system. Read More

Virginia Middle School Student Faces Charges

• A student at Kenmore Middle School in Arlington, Va., is facing charges after allegedly posting a photo of a gun and threatening messages in a group chat.

• A police investigation found no ongoing threat to the community.

• The student is facing potential criminal charges and disciplinary action by the school. Read More

Hostile Foreign Influence Operations

Nikolas Kokovlis/NurPhoto via Getty Images

Meta Uncovers Cyber Espionage Operations Across South Asia

• Meta identified three advanced persistent threat (APT) groups using elaborate fictitious personas on Facebook and Instagram to target individuals in South Asia with social engineering tactics.

• The APT groups masqueraded as recruiters, journalists, military personnel, and romantic connections and relied heavily on social engineering rather than malware to trick victims.

• Social engineering uses psychological manipulation to trick users into making security mistakes or giving away sensitive information.

• Meta disrupted 110 accounts linked to Bahamut, 120 accounts associated with a Pakistan-based APT group, and 50 accounts tied to an India-based threat actor dubbed Patchwork.

• Meta also took down six adversarial networks from the U.S., Venezuela, Iran, China, Georgia, Burkina Faso, and Togo that engaged in coordinated inauthentic behavior on various social media platforms. Read More

New Documents Show Qatar Gave $486 Million to Texas A&M

• The organization Judicial Watch obtained records from Texas A&M revealing it received almost $486 million in grants and contracts from the Qatar Foundation, raising questions about Qatari funding of American institutions.
• The information was released in a court victory obtained by Zachor Legal Institute, an advocacy group fighting antisemitism, which sought information about potential influence by the Qatar government’s funding of certain Texas A&M University programs.
• The case was resolved in favor of Judicial Watch and Zachor Legal Institute in March 2023, with the documents being ordered to be made public by Judge Amy Clark Meachum.
• There appear to be discrepancies between what Texas A&M reported to the federal foreign gift reporting system and what was listed in their gift reporting received by Judicial Watch.
• The litigation also aimed to shed light on how Texas A&M established a degree-conferring campus in Qatar without the Texas Legislature’s permission or involvement. Read More

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NOTE TO OUR READERS: We have pulled out the salient points of the articles in this newsletter to keep you informed and focused on the most relevant, important and timely news in national security and extremism. While our national security experts stand behind the summary bullets and deem them trustworthy, Clarion Project does not endorse all the views expressed in the articles linked.