BALTIMORE — A 21-year-old Maryland man was in custody Thursday after an undercover operation revealed he was trying to work with a terrorist group. He even spoke with an undercover officer about a plot to carry out a terrorist attack against Jewish people and Israel supporters in the United States.
According to Erek L. Barron, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland and Special Agent in Charge William DelBagno of the FBI, Michael Sam Teekaye Jr. of Hanover was been charged with attempting to provide material support to ISIS. Teekaye was arrested on Monday and has been detained since then.
On three occasions in May and June 2024, Teekaye purchased ammunition and range time at a shooting range in Severn, Maryland, which he later told the undercover officer was partly in order to "train."
Then, documents say in July 2024, Teekaye tried to buy a Kalishnikov rifle, but the purchase was denied because Teekaye was on probation.
In later conversations with the undercover officer between August and October 2024, Teekaye said he was in contact with a Somali ISIS fighter about his plans to travel there to join ISIS. Teekaye explained that he would fly first to Turkey, then travel to Ethiopia and cross the border into Somalia. Teekaye sent the officer screenshots of an Ethiopian e-Visa he had obtained from the ISIS fighter. He also sent screenshots of his itinerary that showed him departing from Baltimore Washington International Airport (BWI) on Oct. 14.
On Oct. 10, he sent undercover agents a picture of himself in a black mask and holding a machete.
Last Friday, the officer asked if Teekaye was sure he wanted to join ISIS. Teekaye responded, “I am sure I did a lot of research and had to accept something’s [sic] that they are the only group that has the most true and sincere intentions,” according to the documents.
FBI agents arrested Teekaye on Monday at BWI. After being advised of his right to remain silent, Teekaye told the arresting officers, "I’ll just get out in 20 years and do something here. Okay? Okay? You will never stop me. Jihad will never stop . . . I’ll be like 40 when I get out, then I’ll just do it. I don’t care. You will never stop me."
The FBI first learned of Teekaye in December 2019 when the agency saw one of his social media accounts expressing extremist Islamist ideology.