By H. Nelson Goodson
Hispanic News Network U.S.A.
April 9, 2015
Madison, WI - On Thursday, Joshua Van Haften, 34, of Madison was charged in a federal indictment with attempting to provide material support and resources, namely himself as personnel, to a foreign terrorist organization. The federal complaint says that Van Haften intended to travel into Iraq or Syria to join the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL/ISIS), according to a press release from the U.S. Attorney's Office in Madison.
The complaint alleged that Van Haften left the United States on August 26, 2014, and traveled to Istanbul, Turkey, which shares a land border with Syria and is known to be an entry point into Syria for those who wish to join ISIL.
Van Haften was taken into custody at the O'Hare International Airport after returning from Turkey on Wednesday. If convicted, Van Haften is facing up to 15 years in a federal prison. Prosecutor's claim that Van Haften is a flight risk and is being held.
The feds were able to get evidence that Van Haften was attempting to join ISIS after posting comments about him traveling to Turkey in August 2014 and unable to cross into Syria. He posted that he was taken to a remote road and no one picked him up and ran out money, claiming that he was conned by people who scammed him for money.
Van Haften was convicted in 2000 for child sexual assault and was sentenced to 7 years in prison. He is a registered sex offender.
Joshua Van Haften federal criminal complaint (PDF) http://bit.ly/1CnonbE
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