NJ Man Planned Terror Attack For ISIS, Feds Say

The man said he wanted to attack a National Guard location or a Jewish place of worship, according to federal officials.

By Jack Slocum, Patch Staff

Jun 8, 2026 5:38 pm EDT | Updated Jun 8, 2026 6:34 pm EDT

PASSAIC COUNTY, NJ — A Passaic County man has been arrested after attempting to conspire with the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS), according to federal officials.

Mohamed Sagha, 22, of Wayne, was charged with one count of attempting to provide material support and resources to the terrorist organization.

Officials said that between December 2025 and June 2026, Sagha took part in at least one online chat room in which ISIS supporters discussed, among other things, potential attacks on targets within the United States, officials said.

It was in a chat room where Sagha met a "confidential human source," or CHS, whom he believed to be a member of ISIS living in Syria, authorities said.

In these conversations, Sagha "expressed an intent to assist one of the members of an ISIS-supporters online chat group with an attack on a place of worship," officials said.

Sagha also told the CHS that he'd considered carrying out an attack of his own on a National Guard location or a Jewish place of worship, even sending the CHS photos of the New Jersey locations he contemplated attacking, according to authorities.

After chatting with the CHS for months, and even unsuccessfully trying to meet in Syria, Sagha purchased a Virtual Private Network, or VPN, for the terrorist personality, officials said. He also showed the CHS how to use it to "evade detection, maintain communications, and further (ISIS's) activities" while on the internet, officials said.

Sagha was ordered to be detained during his first federal court appearance on Monday.

If convicted, Sagha faces up to 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, and a term of life of supervised release.

“The defendant allegedly wanted to attack targets in the United States in support of ISIS and its hateful ideology, but the FBI detected and put a stop to his violent plans,” said Assistant Director Donald Holstead of the FBI’s Counterterrorism Division. “This should be a stark reminder to the American people of the FBI’s resolve to pursue anyone who tries to harm Americans and provide material support to terrorist organizations, and we will work with our Justice Department partners to make sure they face justice.”