Local man arraigned in federal courts for lying to FBI about brother’s involvement with ISIL

SAN DIEGO (KUSI) – A man was arraigned in federal courts Monday on new charges that he made false statements to the FBI in the international terrorism investigation of his brother, a San Diego man believed killed while fighting with the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant in Syria. 

Marchello Dsaun McCain, 33, remains held without bond. A second superseding indictment was unsealed in court today charging him with being a
felon in possession of firearms and ammunition, felon in possession of body armor and making false statements involving international terrorism.

According to the indictment, Marchello McCain made false statements to the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force about his knowledge of his brother’s travel to Syria and the use of a credit card to purchase airline tickets from the United States to Turkey, a transit point for people traveling to Syria.

On Aug. 26, 2014, several media outlets reported that Douglas McCain had been killed in Syria fighting for ISIL (also known as ISIS) in a battle against the Free Syrian Army.

Marchello McCain was arrested in January and charged with possession of firearms and ammunition by a felon.

More counts were added in a superseding indictment in March.