Porterville man, two others arrested by FBI for allegedly conspiring to aid ISIS
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Three men were arrested and charged with conspiring to provide material support to ISIS.
- They provided about $2,040 to a person they believed would buy RPGs and drones.
- If convicted, each defendant faces up to 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
A Porterville man and two others were arrested by the FBI on Friday morning and charged with conspiring to provide material support to the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham, a designated foreign terrorist organization.
Elias Shamsaldeen, 21, of Porterville, Bereen Dzayee, 25, of Lakeside, and Bisaam Ghafoor, 21, of Leawood, Kansas, were taken into custody based on a complaint filed in the District of Kansas federal court.
According to the complaint, Ghafoor, Shamsaldeen and Dzayee collectively provided approximately $2,040 to an individual they believed to be an ISIS member for the purpose of purchasing rocket-propelled grenades and drones. The conspirators allegedly understood the weapons would be used to kill U.S. service members deployed overseas.
Using messaging platforms including Discord, the co-conspirators pledged allegiance to ISIS and its leader, the complaint says. They also exchanged messages in social media groups promoting violence in furtherance of ISIS.
It was in one of those exchanges that federal agents learned of the men’s actions. In early March 2025, the FBI received an online tip about a group of social media users that posted content pledging allegiance to ISIS.
In its investigation, the FBI identified the pro-ISIS posters as Ghafoor, Shamsaldeen and Dzayee.
The group discussed weapons and explosives and encouraged violence in support of ISIS.
The defendants and others communicated their desires to travel outside the United States to fight on behalf of ISIS. In some communications, they expressed a willingness to die on behalf of ISIS, according to the complaint.
“In the online group, Shamsaldeen expressed a desire to stab and injure a United States service member who was present at the same business location as Shamsaldeen. Shamsaldeen told the group that his mother had encouraged her children to grow up and kill Americans. Shamsaldeen explained he would play video games that included killing people and, when doing so, fantasized it was part of an attack,” according to the complaint.
Through the use of a confidential source, the FBI learned of the defendants’ plan to use cryptocurrency to support ISIS with the purchase of drones, weapons and ammunition.
In a news release, U.S. Attorney Ryan A. Kriegshauser for the District of Kansas said: “Unfortunately, we must face the reality of bad actors living within our borders, clandestinely conspiring on ways to create fear and havoc. The only way to root out and prevent terrorism plots is through collaboration among all levels of law enforcement and across jurisdictions. Collaboration is what facilitated the arrests of these three suspects.”
If convicted, the defendants face no more than 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
Shamsaldeen is in the Fresno County jail on a U.S. Marshals Service hold.
This story was originally published June 5, 2026 at 3:11 PM.
