WEST HAVEN, CT — A West Haven man who tried to join and fight for ISIS has been sentenced to more than seven years in federal prison, according to officials.
Amhad Khalil Elshazly, 29, was sentenced Monday in New Haven federal court to 92 months in prison and a lifetime of supervised release for trying to provide material support to the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS), a designated foreign terrorist organization, officials announced.
Beginning around September 2018, Elshazly, a U.S. citizen, expressed a desire to travel to Syria to "fight on behalf of ISIS," according to a news release.
"In numerous conversations online and in person, he swore ("bay'at") allegiance to ISIS and its leader, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi," officials wrote in the news release. "In October 2019, just after al-Baghdadi's death, Elshazly sent a message pledging allegiance to the new leader of ISIS, saying 'I pledge my allegiance...to the Khilafah (the successor of the leadership) of the Muslims Abu Ibrahim Al Husseini Al Hashami Al Qurashi…' Elshazly also created and administered a pro-ISIS Discord server that he used to post hundreds of ISIS and other extremist propaganda memes and videos.
"On December 14, 2019, Elshazly paid $500 to a person he believed was an ISIS facilitator who would be able to smuggle him out of the U.S. to Turkey. He believed this would enable him to connect with an ISIS member who, in turn, would assist him with traveling to ISIS within Syria."
Elshazly was arrested on Dec. 15, 2019, after he arrived in Stonington where he expected to board a boat to begin his trip.
"There is no higher priority than the security of our nation and its citizens," U.S. Attorney for Connecticut David X. Sullivan said. "My office and our law enforcement partners will continue to tenaciously work to investigate, apprehend, and bring to justice anyone who threatens us. I greatly appreciate the FBI's Joint Terrorism Task Force and all the participating agencies for their tireless dedication to protect public safety and to bring this case to a successful conclusion. We can accomplish great things when we work together."
FBI New Haven Division Special Agent in Charge P.J. O'Brien said, "Twenty-five years after the attacks of 9-11, the FBI New Haven Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF) remains steadfast in its resolve to prevent, detect, and deter acts of terrorism as one of our highest priorities. The JTTF is committed to rigorously investigating all those who pledge allegiance to foreign terrorist organizations and threaten our national security both in the homeland and around the world. The JTTF is the gold standard of law enforcement partnership, and we are grateful for the support of all our partners who enabled this highly successful outcome and are embedded with us every day to ensure the safety of our communities and the nation."
Elshazly has been detained since his arrest. He pleaded guilty on Nov. 30, 2022, to conspiring to provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization.
"While detained, Elshazly has had numerous disciplinary infractions," officials wrote. "In August 2025, officers searched his cell and found a handwritten plan for a coordinated uprising at the detention facility, complete with diagrams of the housing unit, instructions for breaching secured areas, and tactics for confronting the Correctional Emergency Response Team."
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