Major Achievements in the Courtroom: Terrorism Cases: United States v. Zachary Chesser

Major Achievements in the Courtroom: Terrorism Cases: United States v. Zachary Chesser (2012)
by Neil H. MacBride
1477527Major Achievements in the Courtroom: Terrorism Cases: United States v. Zachary Chesser2012Neil H. MacBride

United States v. Zachary Chesser


United States Department of Justice

Eastern District of Virginia
United States v. Zachary Chesser

2012

United States Department of Justice

Offices of the United States Attorneys

Briefing Room

National Security

Major Achievements in the Courtroom: Terrorism Cases

Eastern District of Virginia

United States v. Zachary Chesser

Zachary Chesser was a resident of the Eastern District of Virginia and an American convert to Islamic extremism. Chesser became an avid supporter of the designated foreign terrorist organization al-Shabaab in Somalia. Two times Chesser unsuccessfully attempted to travel to Somalia to join the terrorist group. Chesser also posted prolific jihadist messages on the Internet, threatening the lives of the creators of the television show South Park and of the Facebook supporters of “Everybody Draw Mohammed Day.” Chesser solicited others to engage in hoax bomb threats by leaving suspicious-looking packages in public places. He pleaded guilty in February 2011 to charges of communicating threats over the Internet, soliciting hoax threats, and providing material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization and was sentenced to a term of 25 years of imprisonment.

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This work is in the public domain in the United States because it is a work of the United States federal government (see 17 U.S.C. 105).

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