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American Man Pleads Guilty to Helping the Islamic State After NYC Arrest

Donald Ray Morgan, of North Carolina, was arrested in August at New York’s JFK International Airport on an outstanding weapons charge.
Photo via Forsyth County Jail

A US man is now facing 15 years in prison after he pleaded guilty on Thursday to trying to join the Islamic State in Syria, a case that highlights the increasing popularity of foreign fighters trying to join Islamic militants.

Donald Ray Morgan, of North Carolina, was arrested in August at New York's JFK International Airport on an outstanding weapons charge, according to NBC News. After his arrest, authorities looked into the 44-year-old's travel history and discovered he had been in the Middle East and had offered his services to the Islamic State.

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Morgan had arrived in New York from Frankfurt and later admitted that he had fruitlessly tried to travel from Lebanon to Syria to join the Islamic State. Morgan also admitted to promoting jihadist messages on social media.

"He traveled overseas with intentions to join the violent terrorist group ISIL in Syria," FBI Special Agent John Strong said in a statement. "American citizens who support terrorist organizations must be held accountable for their actions."

Morgan pleaded guilty to charges of attempting to provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization and possession of a firearm by a felon. In addition to prison time, Morgan also faces a $250,000 fine.

Court documents show that Morgan knowingly and willingly offered support to the Islamic State, including offering his own services. At the end of July, the FBI found a Twitter message written by Morgan that said "Killing our enemies and beheadings are justified," MTV Lebanon reported.

"Today's plea is a sad reminder that those who wish to aid foreign terrorist organizations can come from any community and from any background," US Attorney Ripley Rand said on Thursday.

A report from the UN released Wednesday claims an unprecedented number of foreign fighters are joining Islamic militants in the Middle East. The report says that more than 15,000 foreign fighters — from more than 80 countries — are in Iraq and Syria fighting with the Islamic State.

The number of foreign fighters that have joined militant groups since 2010 is exponentially more than the number the joined between 1990 and 2010, the report claims.

Often those who try to join militants come from unexpected places. Earlier this month, three teenage girls from Denver skipped school and flew to Frankfurt to try and join the Islamic State.

The Islamic State: Watch the VICE News documentary.