Tennessee Man Sentenced to 20 Years in Prison for Attempting to Provide Material Support to ISIS

Benjamin Carpenter, also known as Abu Hamza, 34, of Knoxville, Tennessee, was sentenced today to 20 years in prison followed by 20 years of supervised release for attempting to provide material support to the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS) in connection with providing translation services to ISIS, a designated foreign terrorist organization.

"For years, this defendant led a global digital media operation to distribute pro-ISIS propaganda, promoting the group's radical message of terror and pushing it to every corner of the world," said Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department's National Security Division. "Today's sentence reflects the seriousness of this defendant's conduct and the Justice Department's commitment to identifying and holding accountable those who would provide material support to foreign terrorist organizations."

"Combating terrorism and keeping our communities safe are the highest priorities of the United States Attorney's Office," said U.S. Attorney Francis M. Hamilton III for the Eastern District of Tennessee. "This case deals a serious blow to the expansion of ISIS and its broken message of hatred and senseless violence."

"With today's sentencing, Carpenter is being held accountable for betraying his country and helping ISIS terrorists," said Executive Assistant Director Robert Wells of the FBI's National Security Branch. "He led a propaganda machine which called for war against U.S. and allied forces through suicide bombings and other means. The FBI and our partners will relentlessly pursue and bring to justice terrorists who devote their lives to hurting American citizens."

According to court documents, on Oct. 19, 2023, following an eight-day trial in U.S. District Court, a jury convicted Carpenter of attempting to provide material support to ISIS. The evidence presented at trial demonstrated that Carpenter served as the leader of Ahlut-Tawhid Publications, an international organization of pro-ISIS "munasirin" (i.e., supporters), dedicated to translating, producing and distributing ISIS propaganda throughout the world. For years, Carpenter, using his alias Abu Hamza, published a large body of ISIS media, including his weekly newsletter entitled From Dabiq to Rome, a periodical that celebrated the deaths of American soldiers, glorified suicide bombers and called for open war against the United States and its Western allies, among other pro-ISIS propaganda themes. In 2020 and 2021, Carpenter contacted an individual he believed to be affiliated with ISIS' central media bureau and provided translation services for a project intended to relaunch Al-Hayat Media Center, ISIS' official foreign-language media arm. Unbeknownst to him, that individual was an FBI undercover employee who had infiltrated Carpenter's group.

The FBI Knoxville Field Office is investigating the case, with assistance from FBI Field Offices from across the country.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kyle J. Wilson and Casey T. Arrowood for the Eastern District of Tennessee and Trial Attorney Charles J. Kovats Jr. of the National Security Division's Counterterrorism Section prosecuted the case.