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Washington DC policeman 'charged with trying to help Isis' after FBI sting

Nicholas Young is due to appear in court after allegedly obtaining phone messaging codes for use by Islamic State fighters

Wednesday 03 August 2016 15:27 BST
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A police officer in Washington DC has been arrested and charged with attempting to provide material support to Isis, The Washington Post reported on Wednesday.

Nicholas Young, 36, of Fairfax, Virginia, who worked for the transport police was arrested at police headquarters, the newspaper said. An indictment filed in federal court said Young sent a law enforcement source codes for mobile messaging cards that Young believed would be used by Islamic State fighters.

Authorities said there was never any credible or specific threat to the Metro system.

Although Young believed he was in touch with Isis associates he was actually snared in an FBI sting, talking to officers investigating his activities, according to ABC.

The 36-year-old, who had worked for the transit authority since 2003, had been on the radar of US law enforcement since 2010, according to an affidavit in the complaint filed in federal court in Virginia on Tuesday.

Metro authorities said Young was fired immediately after his arrest on Wednesday morning.

In 2014, he met several times with an undercover FBI agent posing as an eager recruit of the Islamic State, according to the affidavit, and advised the agent about how to evade law enforcement as he left the United States to join the Jihadist group.

"Metro transit police alerted the FBI about this individual and then worked with our federal partners throughout the investigation," said Paul Wiedefeld, Metro general manager.

"Obviously, the allegations in this case are profoundly disturbing," said Mr Wiedefeld.

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