USA v. Hassan, Abdullah Ezzeldin Taha Mohamed
Falls Church, VA

Al Qaeda, ISIS

[EDVA] The FBI arrested a student at Virginia's George Mason University (GMU) for the alleged distribution of information related to explosives, destructive devices and weapons of mass destruction and the intent to murder internationally protected persons. According to the documents, Abdullah Ezzeldin Taha Mohamed Hassan, an Egyptian national, allegedly operated several accounts on various social platforms, one of which a tipster described as engaging in "radical and terrorist-leaning behavior." The FBI traced the account back to Hassan based on information related to the email address, phone number and IP address. Prosecutors claimed the account tied to Hassan made posts "revering Osama bin Laden and Ayman Al Zawahiri" and operated "several pro-ISIS and al Qaeda accounts that promoted violence against Jews." The court documents allege Hassan, who lives in Falls Church, Va., "planned a mass casualty attack at the Consulate General of Israel using an explosive device and rifle."