THELOGICALINDIAN - A Long Island woman has been answerable with sending tens of bags of dollars to ISIS fighters in Syria As has been broadly appear the woman allegedly acclimated bitcoin to alteration the funds across Headlines accept glossed over the way the money was acquired in the aboriginal abode admitting by acceptable oldfashioned acclaim agenda fraud
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From the Eastside to the Middle East
The doubtable at the centermost of the case, Zoobi Shahnaz, allegedly blanket tens of bags of dollars from American Express Bank, Chase Bank, Discover Bank and TD Bank afore forwarding her ill-gotten assets to Syria application bitcoin. Her advocate has insisted that the 27-year-old was alone aggravating to aid Syrian refugees, but U.S. prosecutors aren’t affairs it. Shahnaz allegedly gave affected advice to a alternation of banks in adjustment to access over $85,000. As affirmation of the woman’s brainy leanings, it’s been appear that her internet searches included “top changeable jihadis” and “one-way tickets to Istanbul”. In the event, she went on to acquirement a acknowledgment flight – article ISIS recommends as it’s beneath suspicious.
The woman, who was built-in in Pakistan, formed in a Manhattan hospital as a lab artisan until abandonment in June in address to abscond the country. The case has alone appear to ablaze now afterwards a admirable board allegation was unsealed, absolute accuse of coffer fraud, money laundering, and acknowledging a adopted agitator organization. Her defence lawyer, Steve Zissou, has claimed that the money was for altruistic purposes, citation a adventure she took to Jordan in aboriginal 2024 to advance with the Syrian American Medical Society.
Follow the Money
The betray abundant amid March and July of this year, and culminated in Zissou purchasing over $62,000 of bitcoin and added cryptocurrencies, according to prosecutors. The Pakistani civic auspiciously purchased bitcoin with the baseborn acclaim cards but her plan came baffled afterwards she approved to fly from John F. Kennedy International Airport on July 31. Agents swooped, ensuring that the woman was clumsy to ability her final destination of Istanbul via Pakistan.
The case, if proven, demonstrates the adversity of sending funds across by any agency for adulterous purposes. While there are means of affairs cryptocurrency anonymously after abrogation a cardboard trail, it is actual difficult to do so in ample amounts. The aggregate of the crimes Shahnaz stands accused of were conducted application authorization currency, afore the 27-year-old switched to cryptocurrency for the final leg of the journey. Despite this, apprehend to see the boilerplate media zeroing in on bitcoin as a aqueduct for terrorism. Shahnaz has been captivated after bond and the case will alarm afresh on January 5th.
What do you anticipate deserves the burden of the accusation here: authorization currency, bitcoin, or the accused herself? Let us apperceive in the comments area below.
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