Bolingbrook Teen's Brother, Sister Also Wanted to Join ISIS: Prosecutors

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Federal prosecutors revealed in court Monday that a Bolingbrook man’s younger brother and sister were with him when he was arrested last month, and the trio was allegedly attempting to travel to Turkey to aid ISIS, CBS Chicago reported.

Mohammed Hamzah Khan was arrested Oct. 6 at O’Hare International Airport as he attempted to travel first to Vienna, Austria, then on to Istanbul, federal officials allege. The 19-year-old allegedly left behind notebooks detailing his plans to aid the Islamic terrorist organization, along with a letter asking his parents not to alert authorities, according to court documents.

U.S Magistrate Judge Susan Cox on Monday ruled that Khan, a U.S. citizen, will remain in custody as he awaits trial, saying he poses a danger to the community and is a flight risk, according to NBC news.

Last week, Cox denied prosecutors’ request to close Monday’s hearing to the public and the media, saying privacy concerns for Khan’s juvenile siblings were outweighed by the “value of openness.”

On Monday, prosecutors alleged that Khan’s 17-year-old sister and 16-year-old brother had accompanied him to the airport and ”wanted to wage violent jihad with the Islamic state,” the Chicago Tribune reported. All three had allegedly written letters to their parents saying goodbye and expressing disdain for American culture.

The younger siblings have not been charged, according to the Tribune.

Khan is charged with attempting to provide material support to terrorists, a claim his attorney, Tom Durkin, denied, saying there was no evidence the 19-year-old planned to harm anyone, according to the Tribune.

“He’s a very devout, committed, thoughtful kid who bought into some very slick advertising,” Durkin said, adding that he may have been swayed by online propaganda and misinformation.