Goose Creek, South Carolina. A Goose Creek man was detained Tuesday morning by federal officials after allegedly lying to authorities about his ties to a terrorist organization and destroying evidence to hinder a federal investigation, according to the US Department of Justice.
Ala Aldeen Alshaikh, 31, was charged with lying to FBI agents, making false statements while attempting to get US citizenship, and deleting evidence.
Alshaikh, a Sudanese national, sought for US citizenship in September 2021, according to the indictment. During his interview with the US Citizenship and Immigration Services, he stated that he had no affiliation with a terrorist organization.
According to justice officials, this was a deception; Alshaikh professed allegiance to and claimed membership in the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) in August 2021.
According to the indictment, a year after the immigration interview in preparation for his naturalization ceremony, Alshaikh denied any link to terrorists on a written immigration form.
Investigators discovered evidence that Alshaikh made online postings in October and November 2021 showing his affiliation with ISIS. The statements linked to a possible attack on the US Embassy following his immigration examination on September 10, 2021.
Alshaikh allegedly lied to an FBI agent in January 2025, denying that he had volunteered to share his aviation experience with anyone, according to investigators. Alshaikh, who has aviation experience, allegedly promised to mobilize and share his knowledge with the extremist organization Al-Bara Ibn Malik Brigade.
He subsequently erased evidence of his online interactions with the Al-Bara Ibn Malik Brigade after learning of the federal inquiry, according to the charge.
If convicted, Alshaikh faces a maximum term of five to twenty years in jail. He was arraigned following his arrest on Tuesday morning.
His detention hearing is planned for September 19 at 10 a.m., before US Magistrate Judge Mary Gordon Baker.
This case was examined by the FBI’s Columbia Joint Terrorist Task Force. Assistant United States Attorneys Chris Lietzow and Everett McMillian are prosecuting the case, with assistance from Trial Attorney Kevin C. Nunnally of the Department of Justice’s National Security Division, Counterterrorism Section.
