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Sacramento, California - Murat Kurashev, 36, a Russian national residing in Sacramento, has pleaded guilty to attempting to provide material support to Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), designated as a foreign terrorist organization by the U.S. Secretary of State.

Key Points

• Between July 2020 and February 2021, Kurashev sent approximately $13,000 to couriers of an HTS fundraiser through money transfer services.
• The transactions, often in increments of $1,000, were quickly retrieved by the couriers, usually within 24 hours in Turkey.
• Surveillance footage from money transfer services showed Kurashev participating in some of these transactions.
• Law enforcement analysis of Kurashev’s social media and encrypted mobile messaging revealed discussions indicating his support for violent jihad and regret for only being able to provide financial, not physical, support in Syria.
• Kurashev was aware of the fundraiser’s violent extremist ideology and involvement with HTS.
• FBI seized evidence, including Kurashev’s Apple iCloud account, containing violent extremist content and a video depicting HTS fighters, which he allegedly watched while driving his work van along Interstate 80. He also viewed the fundraiser’s social media solicitations for military equipment, including boots, clothing, firearms, and a motorcycle.
• Kurashev faces up to 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Sentencing is scheduled for March 18, with the final decision to be made by a federal district court judge considering U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.