USA v. Gaffar, Shahidul, et ano.
Philadelphia, PA

ISIS

Shahidul Gaffar and Nabila Khan, a married couple originally from Bangladesh, provided and attempted to provide financial support to two of Khan's brothers who traveled to Syria to join ISIS fighters. Gaffar and Khan discussed the brothers' travel plans in detail with each other, as well as with the brothers and other family members, as early as September 2014. In January 2015, Khan asked her sister living in Bangladesh to sell some of Khan's gold and provide the money to their oldest brother, J.K., in order to assist him in traveling to Syria. Khan then flew to Bangladesh to wish J.K. farewell before his departure in February 2015. Gaffar, who remained in Pennsylvania, sent supportive messages to Khan's mother, stating: "Be [p]roud mother for the noble cause and for the sake of Allah!!!" Further, Khan's second brother, I.K., had come to the United States on a student visa and resided with Khan and Gaffar in Pennsylvania from June 2014 until February 2015, when he returned to Bangladesh. Over the next few months, Khan, who was still in Bangladesh, observed I.K. watching terrorist propaganda videos featuring Anwar al-Awlaki, a designated global terrorist who is now deceased. Around the same time, Gaffar began sending international money transfers to I.K. in Bangladesh. These funds had multiple purposes, but one was to support I.K.'s travel to Syria to join ISIS. In September 2021, Gaffar and Khan were sentenced to 18 months and two years in prison, respectively.