Sentencing set for man who tried to fight for Islamic State

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — Sentencing has been scheduled for a South Carolina man who pleaded guilty to trying to fight for the Islamic State group.

Federal court documents show 20-year-old Zakaryia Abdin is expected to be sentenced January 24. He faces up to 20 years in prison.

Abdin pleaded guilty in August to attempting to provide material support to a terrorist organization. When Abdin was arrested at Charleston’s airport in 2017 as he tried to board a plane for Jordan, authorities say he told an agent posing as an Islamic State recruiter he wanted to torture an American.

At age 16, authorities say Abdin talked about robbing a gun store to get weapons to kill soldiers. He was arrested, pleaded guilty, and a parole board agreed to his early release after a year.