WASHINGTON, D.C. – A Queens, New York man was sentenced to 108 months in federal prison followed by 15 years of supervised release for attempting to support ISIS by planning a knife attack targeting civilians in Flushing Bay.
According to court documents, Awais Chudhary, 25, pledged allegiance in 2019 to then-ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi and conducted multiple surveillance visits at pedestrian bridges and public walkways near the Grand Central Parkway and World’s Fair Marina in Queens.
Prosecutors said Chudhary took active steps to carry out a terrorist attack, including scouting crowded times, ordering tactical gear, and seeking advice from individuals he believed were ISIS members about how to avoid detection. Items ordered online included a tactical knife, mask, gloves, and a body-mounted cellphone strap to record the attack.
Chudhary was arrested after attempting to retrieve the gear from an online locker.
Officials also noted that before planning the physical attack, Chudhary assisted ISIS with English-language propaganda efforts, translating materials aimed at recruiting U.S. audiences. He worked with another convicted ISIS supporter in that effort, according to filings in a separate federal case.
The case was investigated by the FBI and prosecuted by the Eastern District of New York and the Justice Department’s National Security Division.
