N.J. man lied about ISIS ties on citizenship application

A Middlesex County man was indicted Thursday on charges he lied about sending money to the Islamic State group on a naturalization application, officials with the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.

Gafur Abdudzhamilovich Aliev, 44, of Edison, was charged with making false statements and one count of perjury.

Between 2018 and 2020, Aliev moderated or was a member of several encrypted social media messaging channels that targeted associates, recruits, members and others connected to Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham, federal authorities said.

On Aug. 7, 2020, Aliev said told a person not identified by authorities that he had sent money to ISIS in the past for weapons, officials said.

Nine days later he told the same person that sending even small amounts of money to ISIS – between $100 and $400 – was “ok,” authorities said.

Aliev is also accused of telling the person in September 2020 that those who commit jihad must do so financially as well as physically because weapons and equipment cost money, authorities said.

In his naturalization application filed in December 2020, Aliev falsely stated he had never associated with a terrorist organization, officials said.

Aliev is scheduled to appear in federal court Friday afternoon.

An attorney for Aliev did not immediately return a request for comment.