Donald Ray Morgan, 44, of Rowan County, was sentenced today to 20 years in prison for attempting to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization.
Beginning last year, Morgan knowingly attempted to provide support, resources and services to ISIS, according to Ripley Rand, the U.S. attorney for the Middle District of North Carolina.. On at least one occasion Morgan unsuccessfully attempted to travel from Lebanon to Syria to join the terrorist organization, said Rand. Morgan also frequently used social media and an interview with an international journalist to express his support for ISIS and violent terrorist activities.
A guilty plea of possession of a firearm by a felon factored into the sentencing. Morgan pleaded guilty to the federal charges last October.
“We will continue to do everything we can to shine a light on the false allure of violent extremism and protect innocent people from terrorist activity, whether inside or outside the United States,” Rand said in a statement.
