A naturalized U.S. citizen was sentenced Monday to 10 years in federal prison for receiving military training from the Islamic State (IS) and fighting against U.S.-led forces in Syria, according to a Department of Justice press release.
U.S. District Judge Rudolph Contreras in Washington, D.C., sentenced Lirim Sylejmani, 49, originally from Kosovo, to prison followed by lifetime supervised release.
Prosecutors said Sylejmani traveled to Syria with his family in 2015, adopted the name Abu Sulayman al-Kosovi, and trained with IS in firearms and explosives between 2015 and 2019.
His military training included assembling and firing an AK-47 rifle, as well as operating a PK machine gun, M-16 rifle, and grenades.
According to court documents, Sylejmani pledged allegiance to ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi and fought in battles, including the 2016 Manbij offensive, where he was wounded.
He remained with IS until captured by coalition forces in Baghouz, Syria, in 2019. He was transferred to U.S. custody in 2020.
“This defendant will spend a decade in prison thinking about the betrayal to this country,” said U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro.
“Anyone thinking that ISIS is the answer to their questions, best think again,” she continued. “We will go to any lengths to root out subversive individuals who want to overthrow the government and harm its citizens.”
