Detroit man sentenced to 9 years in prison for donating Bitcoin to ISIS

A Detroit man who operated “in the shadows” while attempting to join and fund ISIS through virtual currency has been sentenced to nine years in federal prison as the federal government works to dismantle a digital terrorist financing network.

Jibril Pratt pleaded guilty in July to two counts of concealing cryptocurrency donations to the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham, according to a statement from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Michigan.

“Mr. Pratt is, in his own words, ‘the latest traitor working in the shadows,'” U.S. Attorney Jerome F. Gorgon Jr. said in a statement Thursday. “And we remain vigilant because he may not be the last.”

Pratt’s plan began in February 2023 when he contacted a suspected ISIS operative, who was actually a confidential federal government source.

A Confidential Human Source (CHS) is an individual who confidentially provides information or assistance to law enforcement, often working undercover to help investigators gather evidence without revealing their identity.

Over the next several months, Pratt announced his involvement with the terrorist organization by recording videos pledging allegiance to ISIS leaders, according to the statement.

Transferred in March and May 2023 Bitcoin The funds are believed to be used to help pay for travel expenses for other recruits to join ISIS or to support someone preparing to commit acts of violence in the group’s name, sources believe.

Mr. Pratt provided sources with extensive handwritten notes and documents detailing operational strategies such as weaponizing explosive-laden drones and remote-controlled vehicles, organizing intelligence networks, and strengthening air defense capabilities.

To avoid detection, Platt routes BTC transfers through a privacy-focused VPN and uses encryption software to hide transaction details. private key.

“This sentence should send a strong message to those who seek to support foreign terrorist organizations, financially or otherwise, that the FBI will not stand by and will not tolerate this activity occurring in the United States,” FBI Special Agent in Charge Jennifer Runyan said in a statement.

Targeting extremists’ cryptocurrency funding

Pratt’s conviction comes amid an intensified federal campaign targeting the use of cryptocurrencies to fund extremist groups.

In May, a Virginia man was sentenced to 30 years in prison for funneling more than $185,000 in cryptocurrency to ISIS operatives in Syria between 2019 and 2022.

In March, the Justice Department seized more than $200,000 in cryptocurrencies linked to Hamas, part of a network that authorities said had laundered more than $1.5 million since late 2024.