The United States Department of Justice (DOJ) has announced the criminal case of a 26-year-old Michigan man. He has recently pleaded guilty to two federal counts of concealing crypto donations intended for the Islamic State of Iraq and Al-Sham (ISIS). The guilty plea marks one of the several known cases in the fight against crypto-enabled terror financing.
Michigan Man Attempts Terror Financing
According to the DOJ, the Michigan man named Jibreel Pratt initiated contact with someone he believed to be an ISIS facilitator in February 2023. The communication, which was facilitated via WhatsApp, revealed Pratt’s plans to join ISIS overseas. Unknown to Pratt, his partner was an informant to a law enforcement agency.
Prosecutors reported that he pledged allegiance and shared tactical advice on how to use drones and remote‑controlled cars to execute terrorist attacks. He further sent Bitcoin twice using a privacy VPN and an encrypted wallet app. The transfer aimed at supporting both travel expenses for fighters and an individual he believed would carry out violence on ISIS’s behalf.
U.S. Attorney Jerome Gorgon Jr. stated that Pratt carefully planned to aid ISIS, emphasizing that, he said, “we will find the terrorists operating in our shadows and bring them to justice.” FBI Special Agent in Charge Cheyvoryea Gibson confirmed that the Michigan man’s case shows the agency’s commitment to disrupting the flow of terrorist funding via crypto assets.
Pratt Faces 9-Year Prison Sentence
The FBI later arrested Pratt at his residence in Detroit in May 2024. During the investigation, authorities discovered firearms, ammunition, and computer equipment used to manage stolen crypto. Under the charges, the Michigan man faces a sentence of nine years in prison and is also subject to fines up to $250,000. Sentencing has been scheduled for November 13, 2025.
Notably, this is not the first time crypto has been used to facilitate illicit activities. In early 2025, authorities in Russia sentenced a 37‑year‑old diamond miner to seven years in prison. He was convicted of sending crypto assets to the Ukrainian Armed Forces, an organization labeled as a terrorist under Russian law.
Meanwhile, despite being a federal prosecutor, the DOJ is facing a lawsuit from victims and relatives of victims of state-sponsored terrorism. The plaintiffs allege that the agency has improperly withheld its share of the $4.3 billion settlement from Binance. They petition a federal court to compel the DOJ to deposit the full eligible amount for victims of terrorism.
