North Texas man pleads guilty to helping Islamic State group

DALLAS – A North Texas man pleaded guilty Wednesday to supporting the Islamic State group, federal prosecutors said.

Omer Kuzu pleaded guilty in federal court in Dallas to conspiring to provide material support to terrorism, according to a statement from the U.S. attorney’s office.

The 25-year-old Plano man said in plea papers that he and his brother left home in 2014 for Syria, where he spent five years providing communications support for front-line Islamic State fighters and working in the Caliphate’s technology centre.

Kuzu, who is a U.S. citizen, was captured by Syrian forces in early 2019, turned over to the FBI and returned to Texas to face charges.

He is scheduled for sentencing Jan. 22 and could face up to 20 years in federal prison.