Goose Creek Man Indicted for Lying about Ties to ISIS

CHARLESTON, S.C. - A federal grand jury in Charleston returned a four-count indictment against Ala Aldeen Alshaikh, 31, of Goose Creek, for making false statements in connection with his naturalization process, lying to agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and destroying evidence with the intent to obstruct a federal investigation. Alshaikh was arrested by federal agents this morning.

The indictment alleges that Alshaikh, a Sudanese national, applied for United States citizenship in September 2021. During an interview with a U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services officer, he denied that he had associated with a terrorist organization when, in fact, in August 2021 he pledged allegiance to, and claimed membership in, the terrorist organization known as the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, commonly known as ISIS. It further alleges that a year following his immigration interview, in preparation for his naturalization ceremony, Alshaikh again denied that he had become associated or connected with a terrorist group on a written immigration form. In both October and November 2021, however, Alshaikh made online statements that indicated he associated and connected with ISIS concerning a possible attack on a United States Embassy after his immigration interview on Sept. 10, 2021.

The indictment also alleges that Alshaikh, who has experience in the aviation industry, lied to an FBI agent in January 2025 by denying that he had ever offered to share his aviation expertise with anyone when, in fact, he offered to mobilize and share his aviation expertise with a militant group referred to as the Al-Bara Ibn Malik Brigade. Finally, it alleges that Alshaikh destroyed evidence related to this online conversation after becoming aware of the federal investigation against him.

Alshaikh faces maximum penalties of between five-and 20-years imprisonment on the various charges. He was arraigned this morning and will have a detention hearing scheduled for Sept. 19 at 10 a.m. before U.S. Magistrate Judge Mary Gordon Baker.

The case was investigated by the FBI Columbia Joint Terrorism Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Chris Lietzow and Everett McMillian are prosecuting the case with support from Trial Attorney Kevin C. Nunnally of the Department of Justice's National Security Division, Counterterrorism Section.

All charges in the indictment are merely accusations and defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

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