ALLEGHENY COUNTY, Pa. — A man from Upper Saint Clair is facing charges after officials said he made a false statement about international terrorism to a department or agency.
The Department of Justice said Jack Danaher Molloy, 24, lied to FBI agents during an investigation involving international terrorism on Oct. 20.
Molloy, a dual citizen of the United States and Ireland, traveled to Lebanon in August with a desire to join Hizballah, a foreign terrorist organization. He also traveled from Lebanon to Syria in October in an effort to join Hizballah’s Syrian branch, officials said.
The affidavit alleges that Molloy also supported and idolized violence and wanted to kill Jews, as evidenced by multiple images and videos on his electronic devices and the names he chose as his monikers for his social media and email accounts, officials said.
Molloy returned to the United States and was living in Upper St. Clair, where he continued to engage in conduct consistent with his desire to join Hizballah. Upon arriving at the Pittsburgh International Airport on Oct. 20, he lied to agents of the FBI when he told them that he had no current or future plans to become involved with Hizballah and he had no business in, nor was he meeting with anyone, in Syria.
Federal officials said these statements and representations were false because Molloy knew at that time that he did have current and future plans to become involved with Hizballah and he travelled to Syria in furtherance of his attempts to join Hizballah, and while in Syria, set up a meeting with a person there.
Molloy faces a maximum sentence of eight years in prison, a maximum fine of $250,000 or both.
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