A Minneapolis man has been sentenced to more than eight years in federal prison for attempting to support the terrorist group ISIS, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Minnesota.
Abdisatar Ahmed Hassan, 23, was sentenced Wednesday to 102 months in prison, followed by 15 years of supervised release, after pleading guilty to attempting to provide material support to the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham, commonly known as ISIS. The organization has been designated a foreign terrorist organization by the U.S. State Department since 2014.
According to the complaint filed last year, Hassan began consuming and sharing ISIS-related propaganda in 2024, including reposting violent videos and articles on social media. Authorities said he also downloaded materials from ISIS media outlets and obtained manuals describing how to manufacture explosives and ammunition, along with researching weapons, drone technology, and past ISIS-inspired attacks.
Prosecutors said Hassan communicated extensively online with individuals tied to ISIS media and recruitment networks, including accounts operating in Somalia. In late 2024, he sought assistance traveling to ISIS-controlled areas and expressed a desire to join the group.
Investigators said Hassan made concrete preparations to leave the United States in December 2024, quitting his job, liquidating his savings, and purchasing a one-way plane ticket from Minneapolis to Somalia. He was initially stopped from boarding a flight at Minneapolis–Saint Paul International Airport due to insufficient travel documents but later rebooked and traveled to Chicago.
Before he could depart the country, agents with U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s Tactical Terrorism Response Team interviewed Hassan at the airport and prevented his onward travel. During that encounter, officials said Hassan ultimately admitted to supporting ISIS and rejecting U.S. democratic systems.
According to prosecutors, Hassan continued to promote ISIS after returning to Minnesota, including praising the perpetrator of a Jan. 1, 2025, ISIS-inspired attack in New Orleans that killed 14 people. He also created and shared his own pro-ISIS content online.
The FBI arrested Hassan on Feb. 27, 2025. At the time, authorities said he was carrying a knife and had a homemade ISIS flag in his vehicle. A federal grand jury later indicted him on one count of attempting to provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization. Hassan pleaded guilty in September 2025.
He was sentenced April 22 by Donovan W. Frank in U.S. District Court.
In a statement released through federal authorities, FBI Minneapolis Special Agent in Charge Christopher D. Dotson said Hassan took “active steps” to join ISIS and support its activities.
“The sentence handed down today takes a would-be terrorist off the streets and sends a clear message that the FBI and our partners will unremittingly pursue anyone seeking to join or support a foreign terrorist organization,” Dotson said.
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Minnesota Crime Watch & Information publishes news, info and commentary about crime, public safety and livability issues in Minneapolis, the Twin Cities and Greater Minnesota.
Crime Watch MN
Minnesota Crime Watch & Information publishes news, info and commentary about crime, public safety and livability issues in Minneapolis, the Twin Cities and Greater Minnesota.
