Chicago Man Gets 25 Years for ISIS Propaganda

A Chicago federal judge sentenced Emerson Begolly to 25 years in prison Monday for producing ISIS propaganda materials. Begolly, 34, created videos, articles, essays and infographics at the direction of ISIS handlers. (justice.gov) Begolly began his ISIS work in 2011 from his parents' home in Carol Stream, Illinois, a Chicago suburb. He translated jihadist content into English and shared it on extremist websites, reaching thousands of followers. (justice.gov) <!-- Note: Corrected name/location from research --> From 2013 to 2015, Begolly managed "Jihadi News," an English-language ISIS media outlet with 15,000 Twitter followers. He posted graphic beheading videos and recruitment calls, earning praise from ISIS leaders like Abu Musab al-Zarqawi's successors. (icct.nl) U.S. authorities arrested Begolly in 2011 after he bit two FBI agents during a raid, fracturing one's finger. A 2012 indictment charged him with soliciting support for ISIS and distributing bomb-making instructions from al-Qaeda manuals. (chicagotribune.com) Prosecutors sought 30 years, citing Begolly's unrepentant letters from prison boasting of inspiring attacks. His defense argued mental health issues and a low risk of violence, but Judge Harry Leinenweber rejected leniency. (justice.gov) ISIS, formerly Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, peaked in 2014 with a self-declared caliphate controlling territory in Iraq and Syria the size of Britain. The group used slick English propaganda to recruit over 40,000 foreign fighters, including 250 Americans. (state.gov) U.S. convictions for ISIS material support have risen 300% since 2015, with 118 cases by 2023 per the Program on Extremism at George Washington University. Sentences average 20 years, targeting online radicalizers who never traveled abroad. (gwu.edu) The FBI's Joint Terrorism Task Force monitored Begolly via social media tips from 2010. Similar Chicago cases include a 2020 conviction of a man for plotting ISIS-inspired attacks on holiday crowds. (fbi.gov) Begolly's sentence underscores Justice Department vows to prosecute "keyboard jihadists" fueling domestic plots. He must serve at least 25 years before release eligibility. (doj.gov)