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ISIS supporter from Akron sentenced to 20 years for soliciting murder of U.S. service members

Posted at 8:24 PM, Aug 02, 2017
and last updated 2017-08-02 20:24:00-04

An ISIS supporter from Akron was sentenced to 20 years in prison for soliciting the murder of members of the U.S. military.

Terrence McNeil, 24, pleaded guilty earlier this year to five counts of solicitation to commit a crime of violence and five counts of making threatening interstate communications, according to the Department of Justice.

"With this sentence, McNeil is being held accountable for disseminating ISIS's violent rhetoric, circulating U.S. military personnel information and explicitly calling for the killing of American service members in their homes and communities," said Acting Assistant Attorney General for National Security Dana Boente.

McNeil used social media to threaten acts of violence against military members and their families on behalf of ISIS. According to Special Agent in Charge Stephen Anthony of the FBI's Cleveland Division, "McNeil went far beyond free speech by posting names and addresses of 100 U.S. service members, all with the intent to have them killed."

According to documents filed in this case, McNeil posted about his support for ISIS on social media on several occasions. On or around September 24, McNeil reblogged a gif on Tumblr with the banners "Islamic State Hacking Division," "Target: United State Military," and "Leak: Addresses of 100 U.S. Military Personnel."

The file also contained the following text:

“O Brothers in America, know that the jihad against the crusaders is not limited to the lands of the Khilafah, it is a world-wide jihad and their war is not just a war against the Islamic State, it is a war against Islam…Know that it is wajib (translated to “necessary”) for you to kill these kuffar! and now we have made it easy for you by giving you addresses, all you need to do is take the final step, so what are you waiting for? Kill them in their own lands, behead them in their own homes, stab them to death as they walk their streets thinking that they are safe…”

Several dozen photographs were also included in a loop, purportedly of U.S. military personnel. With the images were each person's respective name, address and military branch.

The final image in the file was a picture of a handgun and a knife with text reading, "...and kill them wherever you find them..."

The DOJ says McNeil also posted other kill lists in late 2015, which also called on others to seek out and murder U.S. servicemen and women.

According to court documents, McNeil also researched the price of firearms for sale and had detailed bomb-making instructions.