SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - OCTOBER 28: San Francisco police officers and F.B.I. agents gather in front of the home of U.S. Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) on October 28, 2022 in San Francisco, California. Paul Pelosi, the husband of U.S. Speaker of the house Nancy Pelosi, was violently attacked in their home by an intruder. One arrest has been made. Speaker Pelosi was not at home at the time of the attack. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
Stockton, California – A Stockton man was arrested Monday on federal charges for allegedly attempting to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization, culminating a months-long undercover operation led by federal law enforcement.
According to court documents unsealed today, 33-year-old Ammaad Akhtar was taken into custody following a series of conversations and transactions with a law enforcement-controlled individual who Akhtar believed to be a member of ISIS. Since February 2025, Akhtar allegedly expressed unwavering support for the terrorist group, repeatedly voicing a desire to fight overseas, send weapons and funds, and even carry out attacks on American soil.
Federal prosecutors say Akhtar’s rhetoric escalated into concrete action earlier this spring. In April, he began sending money to the undercover contact, funds he believed were being used to arm ISIS militants. After being told that the money had purchased guns, Akhtar replied, “May Allah destroy our enemies,” and promised to send more funds that same day.
Prosecutors allege that Akhtar was not only financing what he believed to be ISIS operations, but also contemplating violence closer to home. He discussed targeting a specific individual for an attack, showed interest in constructing homemade explosives, and asked for instructions to “make a boom” at a crowded event. He also expressed a desire to “die in the cause of Allah fighting the kuffar [infidels],” a phrase federal agents say reflects ideological commitment rather than rhetorical posturing.
The case reached a turning point on June 23, when Akhtar met with an undercover agent he believed to be an ISIS associate. According to investigators, Akhtar brought clothing, binoculars, $400 in cash, two loaded firearms, and six additional magazines. During the meeting, he swore bayat — a formal pledge of allegiance — to ISIS.
Akhtar has been charged with attempting to provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization, a crime that carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. While the charge is serious, any potential sentence will be determined by a federal judge based on statutory guidelines and the circumstances of the case.
The FBI’s Sacramento Field Office led the investigation, with support from the FBI’s New York Field Office and the New York City Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of California and the Department of Justice’s National Security Division.
As the federal government continues its counterterrorism efforts, Akhtar’s arrest is a reminder that threats can emerge not only from foreign battlefields, but also from online spaces and quiet American towns like Stockton.
