Brooklyn man arrested for running a terror support network, a decade after fleeing the country.
A man linked to a financial network in Brooklyn that helped raise funds for would-be terrorists has been apprehended more than ten years after he fled the United States, law enforcement officials announced on Thursday. Davud Ansariy, 41, was recently extradited to the U.S. following his capture in Tbilisi, Georgia, last month. His flight from justice began in May 2016, when he boarded a plane to Turkey just five days after a co-conspirator was arrested in connection with a scheme to fund terrorism abroad, according to U.S. Attorney Joseph Nocella.
Nocella stated that Ansariy had been evading justice for his serious crimes for over a decade. He highlighted that Ansariy played a crucial role in a vast network aimed at financing the travel of foreign fighters engaged in violent jihad. As he prepares to face the legal system in a U.S. courtroom, the implications of Ansariy’s actions on national security remain under scrutiny.
Ansariy was reportedly the leader of a group known as “chayxona,” which is derived from the Uzbek language meaning “tea house” or “tea party.” This group, operating from Brooklyn, raised monetary support for the families of individuals who had traveled overseas to fight for ISIS and the Al-Nusrah Front. Prosecutors allege that Ansariy’s network also financed the travel of at least three men, who subsequently lost their lives while engaged in combat with terrorist organizations in Syria.
A notable figure among Ansariy’s beneficiaries was Akhror Saidakhmetov, who received funds from this “tea party” network to facilitate his travel from Brooklyn to Istanbul in pursuit of participating in violent jihad. He was arrested at New York’s John F. Kennedy Airport while attempting to board a flight on February 25, 2015, with others in the network similarly apprehended and charged in subsequent months.
Following the arrest of his co-conspirator on May 11, 2016, Ansariy promptly fled to Turkey with a one-way ticket, effectively eluding authorities for years. He now faces charges related to conspiring and attempting to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization. His return to U.S. custody marks a significant development in ongoing efforts to dismantle financial networks supporting terrorism both domestically and abroad.
The case underscores the persistent challenges law enforcement agencies face in tracking individuals involved in terrorism financing, especially as they navigate international borders. The legal proceedings against Ansariy will likely draw attention as they unfold, further illuminating the complexities surrounding the funding of terrorist activities.
As the judicial process continues, authorities remain vigilant in their efforts to prevent similar operations while reinforcing the message that those who engage in financing terrorism will ultimately face consequences for their actions.
