A Bronx man was arrested Tuesday for allegedly trying to provide material to support a terrorist organization, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.
The Joint Terrorism Task Force arrested 22-year-old Sajmir Alimehmeti at his apartment at 3464 Knox Place in Norwood around 5:30 a.m., court officials say.
The U.S. Attorney's Office in a news release says Alimehmeti was named in a criminal complaint filed by the U.S. District Court in Manhattan.
He allegedly attempted to travel to the Middle East via the United Kingdom in 2013, but was stopped by authorities in the U.K. after they discovered nunchucks and camouflage inside his luggage.
Court officials say in 2015, Alimehmeti was once again denied access into the U.K. after security officials discovered pictures related to the Islamic State group, including flags and explosive devices, on his cellphone. He was sent back to the United States, according to the court document.
The report goes on to say that Alimehmeti had military-style knives and showed Islamic State group propaganda videos to an undercover agent, who the suspect thought he was helping travel to Syria.
Dressed in a gray shirt and sandals, Alimehmeti appeared in federal court in Manhattan Tuesday afternoon and remained expressionless as the charges against him were read. Those charges include one count of provision of material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization and one count of making a false statement in an application for a U.S. passport. Combined, both charges carry a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison.
Alimehmeti's defense included two public defenders who requested $200,000 bail, flight restrictions and home confinement without internet access. That was denied by the judge, who instead ordered the suspect to remain in jail until a hearing June 7.