Detroit Man Gets 9 Years for Bitcoin ISIS Funding

The case against Jibreel Pratt began unfolding in February 2023 when he initiated contact with someone he believed was an ISIS operative, who was actually a confidential federal source working with U.S. authorities. According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Michigan, Pratt’s commitment to the terrorist organization quickly became evident as he recorded a video pledging allegiance to ISIS’s leader, demonstrating his full alignment with the group’s extremist ideology.

Between March and May 2023, Pratt transferred Bitcoin to the confidential source, believing the cryptocurrency payments would help finance other recruits’ travel to join ISIS or support individuals preparing to commit violence in the organization’s name. The Bitcoin transfers represented a deliberate attempt to leverage cryptocurrency’s perceived anonymity to bypass traditional financial monitoring systems that might have flagged conventional banking transactions to suspicious entities.

Beyond financial support, Pratt provided the confidential source with extensive handwritten notes and detailed documents outlining operational strategies for the terrorist organization. These materials included specific proposals for weaponizing drones and remote-controlled cars with explosives, creating sophisticated intelligence networks, and strengthening air defense capabilities—all aimed at enhancing ISIS’s operational effectiveness.

The tactical documents revealed Pratt’s deep involvement in planning and supporting terrorist activities, moving beyond mere financial backing to active participation in developing the group’s capabilities. His proposals for organizing intelligence networks and weaponizing commercial technology demonstrated a concerning level of technical knowledge and strategic planning that authorities found particularly alarming given the potential real-world consequences.

To avoid detection by law enforcement, Pratt employed multiple layers of digital security, routing his Bitcoin transfers through a privacy-focused VPN and using encryption software to hide transaction details and private keys. This approach reflects a growing trend among individuals seeking to fund extremist activities through cryptocurrency while attempting to exploit the perceived anonymity features of certain digital privacy tools.

The use of these sophisticated concealment methods highlights the evolving challenges facing law enforcement agencies in tracking and preventing cryptocurrency-based terrorism financing. As U.S. Attorney Jerome F. Gorgon, Jr. noted in the official statement, “Mr. Pratt is the latest traitor who—in his own words—operated ‘in the shadows.’ And we will continue to stand guard because he may not be the last.”

Pratt’s conviction and sentencing occur within the context of a strengthened federal campaign targeting the use of cryptocurrency to fund extremist groups. FBI Special Agent in Charge Jennifer Runyan emphasized that “the sentencing should send a strong message to anyone seeking to support foreign terrorist organizations, via financial means or otherwise, that the FBI will not stand idly by and allow this activity to occur within the United States.”

The Justice Department’s recent actions demonstrate the scale of this problem. In May, a Virginia man received 30 years in prison for channeling over $185,000 in cryptocurrency to ISIS operatives in Syria between 2019 and 2022. Additionally, in March, authorities seized more than $200,000 in cryptocurrency linked to Hamas, part of a network that has allegedly laundered over $1.5 million since late 2024.

These cases collectively underscore the growing concern among federal agencies about the exploitation of cryptocurrency networks by terrorist organizations and the determined response from U.S. law enforcement to dismantle these digital financing pipelines. The successful prosecution of Pratt represents another step in the ongoing effort to adapt traditional counter-terrorism financing measures to the challenges posed by emerging financial technologies.