A North Texas man has been sentenced to 30 years in a U.S. prison after he was convicted of sharing online messages promoting terrorism and lying to investigators.
Federal prosecutors in Dallas on Wednesday announced the sentencing of 42-year-old Said Azzam Mohamad Rahim. He was convicted in May on eight counts related to social media and supporting terrorism. He could have been sentenced to up to 88 years in federal prison.
According to evidence presented at his trial, Rahim moderated a social media channel dedicated to recruiting fighters for the Islamic State group. He is said to have used a push-to-talk direct messaging application to promote violence in the name of IS. Messages prosecutors say came from Rahim urged followers to "kill and do not consult anyone. Kill by any means." He also praised several terrorist attacks after the fact.
Investigators say Rahim, a U.S. citizen living in the Dallas area, was arrested in 2017 at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport while trying to board a flight to Amman, Jordan. Prosecutors say Rahim, when questioned by officers, denied supporting terrorism or promoting such violence.
