O.C. man who allegedly tried to join ISIS indicted on new charges
Travelers pass through John Wayne Airport in 2011. A man who allegedly told federal agents he was traveling overseas hoping to join Al Qaeda breakaway group ISIS was arrested at the airport July 2.
An Orange County man who was arrested last year on suspicion of trying to travel overseas to join the militant group Islamic State, also known as ISIS, was indicted Wednesday for pledging his alliance and offering to work with them.
Adam Dandach, also known as Fadi Fadi Dandach, of Orange is charged with attempting to provide material support and resources, namely himself, to ISIS; making false statements on his passport application; and obstructing justice, according to the U.S. attorney’s office.
The 21-year-old U.S. citizen told FBI agents that he believed the killing of American soldiers was justified, according U.S. District Court documents.
He was arrested in July when he was stopped by FBI agents before boarding a flight at John Wayne Airport to Istanbul, Turkey. From there, he planned to travel to Syria.
At the time, Dandach pleaded not guilty. He has remained in federal custody without bond.
Federal officials said he lied on his passport application so that he could replace his passport to travel overseas and join the terrorist group.
Dandach claimed he had mistakenly thrown away the original passport when he cleaned a drawer filled with old papers and folders. But prosecutors said he was trying to avoid being stopped by his mother, who possessed his original passport.
According to the indictment, Dandach instructed another person to contact a website administrator to delete his post history.
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