ALEXANDRIA, Va. (AP) – Prosecutors on Wednesday brought the first-ever terrorism charges against a law enforcement officer in the U.S., alleging that a patrol officer with the D.C. region’s Metro Transit Police was caught buying $250 worth of gift cards for the Islamic State group.
Nicholas Young, 36, of Fairfax, was arrested Wednesday morning at Metro’s headquarters in Washington. He is charged with a single count of attempting to provide material support to a terrorist group, and is scheduled for an initial appearance Wednesday afternoon at U.S. District Court in Alexandria.
According to an FBI affidavit, Young bought nearly $250 in gift cards last month that he intended for the Islamic State to use to purchase mobile apps that would facilitate communication. But Young actually gave the gift cards to an undercover FBI source.
Documents show Young has been under surveillance since 2010, and that he traveled to Libya twice in 2011, where he said he joined rebel forces seeking to oust dictator Moammar Gadhafi.
Joshua Stueve, spokesman for the U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, said Young posed no threat to the Metro system. Court documents show Young directed his efforts at seeking to help the Islamic State overseas.