Ohio man arrested for supporting ISIS, leaking info on U.S. military personnel

Authorities arrested an Akron, Ohio man today on federal charges of soliciting the murder of U.S. military personnel, according to the Department of Justice. Terrence J. McNeil, 25, presented himself in a District Court in northern Ohio on one count of solicitation as a crime of violence, according to Assistant Attorney General John P. Carlin, U.S. Attorney Steven M. Dettelbach of the Northern District of Ohio and Special Agent in Charge Stephen D. Anthony of the FBI’s Cleveland Division. According to an affidavit filed in the case, McNeil admitted to his support of the Islamic State, a designated foreign terrorist organization, on social media on numerous occasions. It was approximately Sept. 24, when McNeil posted on his Tumblr account a file with the banner “Islamic State Hacking Division,” followed by “Target: United States Military” and “Leak: Addresses of 100 U.S. Military Personnel.” Underneath was posted, “O Brothers in America, know that the jihad against the crusaders is not limited to the lands of the Khilafah, it is a world-wide jihad and their war is not just a war against the Islamic State, it is a war against Islam…Know that it is wajib (translated to “necessary”) for you to kill these kuffar! and now we have made it easy for you by giving you addresses, all you need to do is take the final step, so what are you waiting for? Kill them in their own lands, behead them in their own homes, stab them to death as they walk their streets thinking that they are safe…” Along with the post containing several dozen photographs of U.S. military members, McNeil also allegedly posted each individual's name, address and military branch. “According to the allegations in the complaint, Terrence McNeil solicited the murder of members of our military by disseminating ISIL’s violent rhetoric, circulating detailed U.S. military personnel information, and explicitly calling for the killing of American service members in their homes and communities,” said Assistant Attorney General Carlin. “ISIL and its followers continue to use social media in an attempt to incite violence around the world, including in the United States. The National Security Division's highest priority is counterterrorism and we will use all of our tools to disrupt threats and acts of violence against our military members and their families,” he said. The case is still being investigated by the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force in Cleveland, according to the DOJ.