Edison ISIS supporter accused of lying about terrorist links on his citizenship application

A federal grand jury in New Jersey returned a two-count indictment against Gafur Abdudzhamilovich Aliev, 44, of Edison, who is accused making false statements on his naturalization application.

Departing U.S. Attorney John Giordano announced the charges, which include one count of making a false statement on a naturalization application and one count of perjury.

Aliev was scheduled to appear this afternoon before U.S. Magistrate Judge Cathy L. Waldor via videoconference.

The indictment alleges that between January 2018 and January 2020, Aliev was a moderator and member of several channels on a social media application with encryption features, targeting members, supporters, and potential recruits of the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS).

In August 2020, Aliev reportedly told someone that he had previously sent money to ISIS to purchase weapons.

He also allegedly indicated that sending even small amounts of money to ISIS was permissible, and discussed the importance of financial support for conducting jihad.

On December 26, 2020, Aliev, under penalty of perjury, falsely claimed in his naturalization application that he had never been associated with a terrorist organization.

The charge of making a false statement on a naturalization application carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. The perjury count could lead to an additional five years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000.

Giordano credited the investigation to special agents from the FBI, task force officers from the Joint Terrorism Task Force, deportation officers from Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations, the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office, and the Edison Police Department. The investigation was also supported by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.

The government is represented by Joyce M. Malliet, Chief of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s National Security Unit, with additional support from the U.S. Department of Justice’s Counterterrorism Section.

The charges are accusations only, and Aliev is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.