Virginia Man Sentenced to 30 Years for Crypto Transfers to Terrorists

Mohammed Azharuddin Chhipa, a 35-year-old resident of Virginia, will spend 30 years and four months in prison for transferring $185,000 in cryptocurrency to the terrorist group ISIS, reported the US Department of Justice.

From 2019 to 2022, Chhipa raised funds through social media and personal meetings, converted them into cryptocurrency, and transferred them through Turkey to Syria. The money aided ISIS members in escaping camps and financing operations.

In December 2024, a court found him guilty on five counts, including conspiracy.

“He directly supported ISIS atrocities,” stated Attorney General Pam Bondi.

During the investigation by the FBI, Chhipa attempted to flee: he withdrew $1800, bought bus tickets under fake names, flew to Mexico, and then to Guatemala. His plan to reach Egypt via Panama and Germany failed after Interpol’s intervention, leading to his deportation to the US.

To verify operational data, the Bureau used blockchain transaction analysis, linking Chhipa’s transfers to fundraising campaigns for terrorists.

Undercover agents and confidential informants confirmed these findings through recorded conversations, in which the man openly declared his ideological commitment to ISIS.

Prosecutors emphasized that his attempt to escape increased the severity of the sentence. Chhipa will be released only at the age of 65.

In March 2025, the US Department of Justice disrupted a financing scheme for the terrorist group Hamas, seizing approximately $201,400 in cryptocurrencies.