Indiana brothers attempt to sell weapons to ISIS, indicted on federal terrorism charges

Friday, July 12, 2019
Indiana brothers cahrged with helping ISIS
A pair of brothers from central Indiana face federal charges for their alleged role in trying to provide weapons and support for ISIS.

FISHER, Ind. -- A pair of brothers from central Indiana face federal charges for their alleged role in trying to provide weapons and support for ISIS.

A federal grand jury indicted Moyad Dannon, 21, and Mahde Dannon, 20, of Fisher, Indiana.

Prosecutors said the brothers sold several illegally obtained firearms to a person working with the FBI.

The brothers supposedly thought the weapons were going to the Islamic State.

Neighbors watched as the FBI raided the brother's home.

"When we first saw it we thought it was a military drill or something like that. There was about 30 FBI agents that came up through this entrance here and drove up right into the yard and batter-rammed the door down. And we really didn't know what to think of the time," said a neighbor.

Photos of the evidence show a cache of weapons and firearms manufactured to sell and ship overseas to the terrorist organization ISIS, reported WRTV.

In a statement, the head of the FBI's Indianapolis division called this operation unprecedented saying, "This case is the first of its kind for the Federal Bureau of Investigation where you have individuals allegedly making guns to sell and/or send overseas to ISIS. This indictment paints a vivid picture of the rapid rise of homegrown violent extremism and the lengths people are willing to go to in their support of terrorist activity."

Federal prosecutors said Mahde Dannon was awaiting trial in northern Indiana on felony theft charges, when he came up with a scheme to deliver firearms to an FBI informant.

That informant introduced the brothers to an undercover FBI agent.

Last year, the Dannon brothers sold firearms to the informant and began making untraceable semi-automatic rifles, which they sold to the undercover FBI agent.

Then, Moyad Dannon and the agent traveled to the southern U.S. border to sell the firearms to a potential buyer, who would then ship them to the Middle East for use by ISIS.

In May, the brothers ramped up production of their rifles and sold them to more undercover agents, near the southwest U.S. border, leading to their arrests.

ABC7 Chicago contributed to this article.