FBI arrests California man, says he tried to give money and guns to Islamic State

The FBI on Tuesday arrested a Northern California man accused of attempting to provide material support to the Islamic State group, federal prosecutors said.

Ammaad Akhtar, 33, of Stockton was charged in federal court in Sacramento after allegedly pledging allegiance to the terrorist organization and attempting to send it money, weapons and tactical gear, according to Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith.

Prosecutors said Akhtar made several payments he believed were destined for Islamic State militants and handed over binoculars, clothing and two loaded firearms to an undercover FBI operative posing as a group member.

In conversations recorded by the FBI, Akhtar reportedly expressed a desire to “die in the cause of Allah fighting the kuffar (infidels)” and requested instructions for building a homemade explosive device “to make a boom” at a crowded event, the complaint said.

Akhtar was booked into the Sacramento County Jail just before 10 a.m. Tuesday, jail records show. He is being held without bail.

The investigation began in February when Akhtar began corresponding online with an FBI-controlled individual he believed to be affiliated with the Islamic State, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office. FBI offices in Sacramento and New York collaborated on the case.

If convicted, Akhtar faces up to 20 years in federal prison and a $250,000 fine, prosecutors said.

This story was originally published June 24, 2025 at 2:31 PM.

Sharon Bernstein

The Sacramento Bee

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Sharon Bernstein is a senior reporter at The Sacramento Bee. She has reported and edited for news organizations across California, including the Los Angeles Times, Reuters and Cityside Journalism Initiative. She grew up in Dallas and earned her master’s degree in journalism from UC Berkeley. She has served on teams that have won three Pulitzer prizes.