The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), created in 1908, is the national law enforcement and intelligence agency in charge of protecting the American people and upholding the Constitution of the United States.  

What Does the FBI Investigate?

The FBI investigates a wide range of crimes and national security threats, including terrorism, counterintelligence, cyber crime, public corruption, civil rights, organized crime, white-collar crime, violent crime, and weapons of mass destruction.

Terrorism

The FBI uncovered a terrorist plan involving a Maryland man and ISIS operatives.  The investigation began in 2015 and involved money wire transfers from Egypt to the United States.  According to FBI reports, Mohamed Elshinawy received $8,700 in payments from foreign terrorists to conduct operations on U.S. soil.

Elshinawy told the FBI the money was a gift from his Egyptian mother.  He also said he needed the money to purchase a cell phone for a friend.  Later, Elshinawy admitted he had been contacted by ISIS to plan terrorist operations.  However, he said his motive was to steal money from ISIS, and he never intended to follow through with acts of terror.

He asked the FBI to hire him as an expert in identifying the illegal money network.  

Upon further investigation, the FBI found Elshinawy had contacted the terrorist group through social media and had pledged to support their cause.  

On July 17, 2018, Elshinawy received a 20-year sentence for terrorism planning.

The FBI’s investigation of Elshinawy led to a broader conspiracy, a terrorist plot to finance drone attacks against U.S. targets.