Republican Chairman Scrutinizes Companies Tied to Husband of Rep. Ilhan Omar

Headline USA Editor
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Republican Chairman Scrutinizes Companies Tied to Husband of Rep. Ilhan Omar

(Headline USA)  On Friday, Rep. James Comer, a Kentucky Republican and chairman of the House Oversight Committee, requested records related to firms partially owned by the husband of Minnesota Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar.

The scrutiny of Omar’s finances comes from a required financial disclosure statement she filed in May last year. She reported then that two firms tied to her husband, a winery called eStCru and an investment firm called Rose Lake Capital, had risen in value by at least $5.9 million dollars. 

Omar has also pointed out that her husband’s reported income from the winery was between $5,000 and $15,000 and none from Rose Lake Capital.

Comer released a letter to Timothy Mynett, a former Democratic political consultant who is married to Omar, requesting records related to a pair of companies that had a substantial jump in value between 2023 and 2024, according to financial disclosures filed by the congresswoman.

A spokesperson for Omar, Jackie Rogers, said in a statement that Comer’s letter was “a political stunt” and part of a campaign “meant to fundraise, not real oversight.”

“This is an attempt to orchestrate a smear campaign against the congresswoman, and it is disgusting that our tax dollars are being used to malign her,” Rogers added.

In the letter to Mynett on Friday, Comer said, “There are serious public concerns about how your businesses increased so dramatically in value only a year after reporting very limited assets.”

President Donald Trump also said last month that the Department of Justice is looking into her finances.

In response to the president, Omar said on social media that “your support is collapsing and you’re panicking,” adding that “Years of ‘investigations’ have found nothing.”

Adapted from reporting by the Associated Press.

Right-Wing Influencer Can’t Shake Lawsuit from FBI Director’s Girlfriend

Ken Silva
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Right-Wing Influencer Can’t Shake Lawsuit from FBI Director’s Girlfriend

(Ken Silva, Headline USA) It’s been a rough week for right-wing influencer Elijah Schaffer. On Tuesday, Schaffer, who’s going through a divorce, was revealed to have had an affair with another right-wing influencer, Sarah Stock.

Schaffer also apparently had his car stolen, though he posted about getting it back. To top it off, he took a blow in court on Wednesday, when a judge denied his motion to dismiss a defamation lawsuit filed against him by Alexis Wilkins, the girlfriend of FBI Director Kashyap Patel.

Wilkins’s lawsuit stems from Schaffer tweeting a photo of her and Patel above another tweet that explained how females from the Mossad—Israeli’s intelligence agency—have been used as “honeypots” to seduce government officials and other targets.

defam

Schaffer didn’t explicitly say that Wilkins was an Israeli honeypot sent to seduce Patel. Nevertheless, his post prompted Wilkins to file a lawsuit on Oct. 28 in federal court.

Schaffer, for his part, blasted the lawsuit as an attack on free speech. He filed a motion to dismiss on Jan. 5, arguing that his post shouldn’t be read as a literal assertion that Wilkins is an active Mossad agent committing espionage and treason—”particularly where Plaintiff herself describes that implication as ‘inherently ludicrous.’”

Judge Donald Middlebrooks disagreed.

“[Schaffer’s] posts, considered holistically, support [Wilkins’] allegation that a viewer of the alleged defamatory post could reasonably draw the inference that [Schaffer] is labeling Ms. Wilkins a ‘honeypot’ and accusing her of infiltrating the U.S. government,” Middlebrooks said in his ruling.

While the decision might be considered a blow to Schaffer—and to free speech—he has said he looks forward to the case going to discovery. Schaffer says he plans to learn whether Patel is pushing the lawsuit behind the scenes.

“Does Kash Patel know about this? If he doesn’t know that his girlfriend is waging million-dollar lawsuits … what kind of FBI director doesn’t know that his girlfriend is waging frivolous lawsuits against the press?” Schaffer said last November. “Now if he does know, this is a proxy lawsuit by Kash Patel.”

Along with Schaffer, Wilkins also sued right-wing influencer Sam Parker on Oct. 31. In that case, Parker posted an essay about Wilkins in February 2025 entitled “Who is Alexis Wilking—Girlfriend of Kash Patel?”

According to the court docket in that case, Wilkins has yet to serve Parker.

Wilkins seeks $5 million from both men. Those cases follow an initial lawsuit she filed against former FBI agent Kyle Seraphin in August over his allegations that she’s a “former Mossad agent.”

Seraphin filed a motion to dismiss the lawsuit earlier this month, saying that he was joking when he made those comments. A judge has yet to rule on Seraphin’s motion.

The rumors about Wilkins stems from her work for PragerU, which constantly pumps out pro-Israel propaganda. PragerU’s CEO, Marissa Streit served in Unit 8200—Israel’s equivalent of the NSA—and its founder, Dennis Prager, has gone on secret missions on behalf of Israel. Prager has talked about Israel sending him on a secret mission to smuggle Jewish artifacts into the Soviet Union when he was 20 years old.

However, there is no evidence that Wilkins is an intelligence agent, Mossad or otherwise.

Ken Silva is the editor of Headline USA. Follow him at x.com/jd_cashless.

Luigi Mangione Speaks Out in Protest as Judge Sets State Murder Trial for June 8

Headline USA Editor
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Luigi Mangione Speaks Out in Protest as Judge Sets State Murder Trial for June 8

(Headline USA)  Luigi Mangione spoke out in court Friday against the prospect of back-to-back trials over the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, telling a judge: “It’s the same trial twice. One plus one is two. Double jeopardy by any commonsense definition.”

Mangione, 27, made the remarks as court officers escorted him out of the courtroom after a judge scheduled his state murder trial to begin June 8, three months before jury selection in his federal case.

Judge Gregory Carro, matter-of-fact in his decision after a lengthy discussion with prosecutors and defense lawyers at the bench, said the state trial could be delayed until Sept 8 if an appeal delays the federal trial.

Mangione’s lawyers objected to the June trial date, telling Carro that at that time, they’ll be consumed with preparing for the federal trial, which involves allegations that Mangione stalked Thompson before killing him.

“Mr. Mangione is being put in an untenable situation,” defense lawyer Karen Friedman Agnifilo said. “This is a tug-of-war between two different prosecution offices.”

“The defense will not be ready on June 8,” she added.

“Be ready,” Carro replied.

Mangione has pleaded not guilty to state and federal charges, both of which carry the possibility of life in prison. Last week, the judge in the federal case ruled that prosecutors can’t seek the death penalty.

Jury selection in the federal case is set for Sept. 8, followed by opening statements and testimony on Oct. 13.

Wearing a tan jail suit, Mangione sat quietly at the defense table until his outburst at the end of the hearing.

As the trial calendar began to take shape, Assistant District Attorney Joel Seidemann sent a letter to Carro asking him to begin the New York trial on July 1.

The prosecutor argued that the state’s interests “would be unfairly prejudiced by an unnecessary delay” until after the federal trial. Under the law, he said, the state has “priority of jurisdiction for purposes of trial, sentencing and incarceration” because Mangione was arrested by New York City police, not federal authorities.

When Mangione was arrested, federal prosecutors anticipated that the state trial would go first. Seidemann told Carro on Friday that Thompson’s family has also expressed a desire to see the state trial happen first.

“It appears the federal government has reneged on its agreement to let the state, which has done most of the work in this case, go first,” Carro said Friday.

Scheduling the state trial first could help Manhattan prosecutors avoid double jeopardy issues. Under New York law, the district attorney’s office could be barred from trying Mangione if his federal trial happens first.

The state’s double jeopardy protections kick in if a jury has been sworn in a prior prosecution, such as a federal case, or if that prosecution ends in a guilty plea. The cases involve different charges but the same alleged course of conduct.

Mangione isn’t due in court again in the state case until May, when Carro is expected to rule on a defense request to exclude certain evidence that prosecutors say connects Mangione to the killing.

Those items include a 9 mm handgun that prosecutors say matches the one used to kill Thompson and a notebook in which they say he described his intent to “wack” a health insurance executive.

Last week, Garnett ruled that prosecutors can use those items at that trial.

In September, Carro threw out state terrorism charges but kept the rest of the case, including an intentional murder charge.

Thompson, 50, was killed on Dec. 4, 2024, as he walked to a midtown Manhattan hotel for UnitedHealth Group’s annual investor conference.

Surveillance video showed a masked gunman shooting him from behind. Police say “delay,” “deny” and “depose” were written on the ammunition, mimicking a phrase used to describe how insurers avoid paying claims.

Mangione, a University of Pennsylvania graduate from a wealthy Maryland family, was arrested five days later at a McDonald’s in Altoona, Pennsylvania, about 230 miles (about 370 kilometers) west of Manhattan.

Adapted from reporting by the Associated Press. 

 

Minnesota Mother Charged for Using Racial Slur Demands Speedy Trial

Ken Silva
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Minnesota Mother Charged for Using Racial Slur Demands Speedy Trial

(Ken Silva, Headline USA) The Minnesota mother who was criminally charged for using a racial slur against a 5-year-old black child who took her property is now demanding a speedy trial.

According to ABC 6 News in Rochester, the attorney for the woman, Shiloh Hendrix, is demanding a trial in the next 60 days. Her trial is currently set for Sept. 28.

Hendrix faces three counts of disorderly conduct. They stem from a video that went viral last April. In the video, she berated a 5-year-old black child for allegedly taking items from her 18-month-old son’s diaper bag—calling the kid the “N-word.” The recording went viral soon thereafter.

The city of Rochester announced the charges in August. Hendrix faces 90 days in jail and a $1,000 fine.

According to the criminal complaint filed by Rochester police officer Dylan Beck, the incident started at a local park, where a 5-year-old autistic child took apple sauce from Hendrix’s bag. Hendrix chased after the boy. So did the boy’s father, Somali national Sharmake Beyle Omar, according to the police complaint.

“[Hendrix] became very angry while chasing [the child]. [Hendrix] shouted at him and repeatedly used a racial epithet (the N-word; [the child] is of Somali background) … Based on her anger and words, [Omar] feared that defendant may strike [the child],” the complaint says. “[Hendrix angrily grabbed the food item from [the child].”

That’s when Omar began filming Hendrix in a video that would go viral.

“Don’t dig into people’s shit, you dumb fuck,” Hendrix told the Somali man. “He took my son’s stuff.”

In a press release, Rochester Mayor Kim Norton said the incident has affected her community.

“This was a situation that deeply affected many people, especially our communities of color, and caused real turmoil in our community,” Rochester Mayor Kim Norton said in a press release.

“We acknowledge the lasting impact this incident has had, not only on those directly involved and across our community, but also in the broader conversations happening at the state and national level. These moments remind us of the complexity and far-reaching impacts of situations like this,” she added.

Following the video’s viral dissemination, Hendrix established a GiveSendGo fundraiser titled “Help Me Protect My Family.” Originally setting a goal of $1,000,000, she has raised over $600,000 as of the time of this writing.

In her fundraiser description, Hendrix claims she has been “put into a very dire situation” following the incident. She alleges her personal information has been compromised: “My SSN has been leaked. My address, and phone number have been given out freely. My family members are being attacked. My eldest child may not be going back to school. Even where I exercise has been exposed.”

Ken Silva is the editor of Headline USA. Follow him at x.com/jd_cashless.

Suspect from 2012 Benghazi Attack is Captured

Headline USA Editor
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Suspect from 2012 Benghazi Attack is Captured

(Headline USA) A man described as a key participant in the deadly 2012 attack on the U.S. compound in Benghazi, Libya, has been taken into custody and will be prosecuted in connection with a rampage that killed four Americans and became a divisive political issue, the Justice Department said Friday.

Zubayar Al-Bakoush, identified by officials as a member of an extremist militia in Libya, had been wanted by the United States for more than a decade. He is accused in a newly unsealed indictment of joining an armed mob that crashed the gates of the diplomatic mission and set fire to buildings in a 13-hour-long assault.

FBI and Justice Department officials did not detail the circumstances of his arrest but said he was taken to an airfield in Virginia early Friday and will face charges in Washington including murder, attempted murder, arson and conspiring to provide material support to a foreign terrorism organization. It was unclear if Al-Bakoush had an attorney representing him or when he might appear in court.

The arrest is the first by President Donald Trump’s administration arising from the attack, but it is not the first time that the Justice Department as an institution has attempted to hold to account the militants believed responsible for the killings of Ambassador Chris Stevens and three other Americans.

A suspected mastermind, Ahmed Abu Khattala, was captured by U.S. special forces in 2014 and was convicted and imprisoned after a jury trial. His attorneys argued that the evidence was inconclusive.

“We have never stopped seeking justice for that crime against our nation,” said Attorney General Pam Bondi, who announced the arrest at a news conference with FBI Director Kash Patel and U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro, the top federal prosecutor in Washington, whose office will be handling the case.

The attack almost immediately became a political flashpoint in Washington as Republicans challenged President Barack Obama and then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on security at the facility, the military response to the violence and the Democratic administration’s changing narrative about who was responsible and why.

A final report by a Republican-led congressional panel faulted the Obama administration for security deficiencies at the Libyan outpost and a slow response to the attack. The report, however, found no wrongdoing by Clinton. Clinton at the time dismissed the report as an echo of previous probes with no new discoveries, saying it was “time to move on.” Other Democrats denounced the Republicans’ report as “a conspiracy theory on steroids.”

On the night of Sept. 11, 2012, U.S. officials have said, at least 20 militants armed with AK-47s and grenade launchers breached the gate of the consulate compound and set buildings on fire.

The fire led to the deaths of Stevens, the ambassador, and State Department employee Sean Smith. Other State Department personnel escaped to a nearby U.S. facility known as the annex.

A large group assembled for an attack on the annex. That attack, including a precision mortar barrage, resulted in the deaths of security officers Tyrone Woods and Glen Doherty.

Adapted from reporting by the Associated Press

After Defying Epstein Subpoenas, Clintons Now Have Another Special Request

Luis Cornelio
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After Defying Epstein Subpoenas, Clintons Now Have Another Special Request

(Luis Cornelio, Headline USA) Twice-failed presidential candidate Hillary Clinton is now asking for another accommodation after repeatedly declining to comply with congressional subpoenas, seeking to have her deposition held publicly. 

Clinton made the request in a post on X on Thursday, accusing House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer of turning the investigation into an “exercise in distraction.” 

She claimed the committee should hold the deposition publicly for the purported sake of transparency. 

“So let’s stop the games. If you want this fight, @RepJamesComer, let’s have it—in public,” Clinton wrote. “You love to talk about transparency. There’s nothing more transparent than a public hearing, cameras on. We will be there.” 

The request comes after weeks of back-and-forth between Hillary Clinton, former President Bill Clinton and the House Oversight Committee over subpoenas seeking their testimony about their knowledge of Jeffrey Epstein. 

The committee issued the subpoenas on Aug. 5, 2025, scheduling depositions for Oct. 9 and Oct. 14. Both Clintons failed to appear. 

After the depositions were rescheduled for Dec. 17 and 18, the Clintons again declined. A third attempt to secure their testimony on Jan. 13 and 14 was also unsuccessful. 

The Clintons only agreed to sit for depositions after several House Oversight Committee Democrats joined Republicans in advancing contempt of Congress proceedings over their repeated refusals to comply. 

In response to Clinton’s Thursday demand for a public hearing, the House Oversight Committee accused the Clintons of misrepresenting routine deposition procedures. 

“The Clintons are going to Clinton and try to spin the facts. On Tuesday, at the eleventh hour, their lawyers, Jonathan Skladany and Ashley Callen, said their clients accepted the terms of the depositions,” the committee wrote. 

The committee said those same procedures have been used for every witness in the investigation, including Republicans such as former Attorney General Bill Barr and former Labor Secretary Alex Acosta.  

“Then they pretended that we were moving the goalpost when they received, along with the subpoenas, the House deposition guidance that explicitly mentions video recordings,” it added. “We are not going to debate the meaning of the word “is.” We are going to get answers for the American people.” 

The committee closed off by adding: “The full truth. The buck stops here.” 

Even CNN Not Impressed by Kamala’s ‘Cringe’ Announcement

Luis Cornelio
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Even CNN Not Impressed by Kamala’s ‘Cringe’ Announcement

(Luis Cornelio, Headline USA) Former Vice President Kamala Harris’s Thursday announcement reviving her campaign social media account was so poorly received that even CNN ridiculed it as “cringe.” 

Harris took to X to announce that her campaign account, “Kamala HQ,” would be returning online under the username “@headquarters_67,” which she described as a hub of “Gen Z–led progressive content.” 

In a video announcing the relaunch, Harris struggled to clearly explain the purpose of the account. 

“Kamala HQ is turning into Headquarters, and it’s where you can go online to get basically the latest of what’s going on and also to meet and revisit some of our great courageous leaders be they elected leaders, community leaders, civic leaders, faith leaders, young leaders,” Harris said. 

Critics online quickly took notice of the account’s use of “67,” a number combination that has become a meme among children across social media platforms. 

The move did not impress CNN. 

“Six, seven — as the kids used to say a lot of things — and I think they also used to say, ‘That’s probably cringe,’” CNN host Dana Bash remarked Thursday. 

Several Democratic operatives, including some who previously worked for the Biden-Harris campaign, also publicly questioned the vague rollout of the account and the broader strategy behind it. 

Stefanie Feldman, a former Biden White House and campaign aide, questioned whether such online tactics benefited Democrats. 

She pointed to a past Biden campaign post that attempted to promote a meme involving George Floyd. 

Former Democratic operative Matt Corridoni echoed Feldman’s concerns, warning that the push to appear “cool” online has distracted candidates from acting normally. 

“We can’t become a party driven by clicks. Our metrics of success need to be wholistic & focused on actually moving voters, not ‘yasss queen’-ing ourselves,” he wrote. 

Harris’s announcement comes as she positions herself as a potential candidate for president in 2028, after previously seeking the White House twice. 

How Much Is a Super Bowl Trophy Worth?

Money Metals News Service
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How Much Is a Super Bowl Trophy Worth?

(Mike Maharrey, Money Metals News Service) The Seattle Seahawks will square off against the New England Patriots in the Super Bowl on Sunday. The winner will take home a big chunk of silver.

And it is worth a heck of a lot more than the trophy the Philadelphia Eagles took home last year.

Of course, I’m referring to the Super Bowl trophy. It is formed from about seven pounds of sterling silver.

According to the Sporting News, Tiffany & Co. VP Oscar Riedener sketched out the design for the iconic Lombardi Trophy on the back of a napkin back in 1966.

So, how much is the Lombardi Trophy worth?

Based on the manufacturing costs, the trophy is valued at between $50,000 and $60,000, although it is essentially priceless. It’s not like you’ll find a bunch of Lombardies on eBay. However, it’s not out of the question. Tiffany & Co. produces a new Super Bowl trophy each year. It stays with the team.  However, players and coaches can order their own replicas and some of them has showed up on auction sites in the past.

But how much is the real Lombardi Trophy really worth? All of that silver has to have some value, right?

As I mentioned, the trophy is formed out of silver, but it isn’t pure silver like a bullion coin. The Lombardi is fabricated out of sterling silver, an alloy of silver containing 92.5 percent by weight of silver and 7.5 percent by weight of other metals (alloy), usually copper.

The Lombardi Trophy measures 20.75 inches high and weighs seven pounds (3,175 grams). That means, given the current price of silver at $76.50 per ounce ($2.46 per gram), the silver metal melt value of the trophy would be around $7,810.50.

To put that into perspective, when the Philadelphia Eagles hoisted the Lombardi last year, the melt value was just over $2,990.

Now, imagine if the trophy were made of gold. At just over 102 troy ounces, it would be worth over $500,000 at the current gold price.

The first Lombardi was awarded in 1967, and all the Super Bowl trophies have been produced in Tiffany’s hollowware workshop in Cumberland, Rhode Island.

The trophy is hand-crafted, and it takes about 72 total hours of labor. Sterling silver must be heated to over 1,000 degrees to mold it into the trophy’s distinctive shape.

Interestingly, the ball atop the trophy is the same size as a regulation football.

Winning a Lombardi would certainly be cool, but if you want to win a more valuable trophy and a lot more silver, you should take up ice hockey.

The Stanley Cup has an estimated value of $600,000. The cup itself is pure silver, with the base made of sterling. The Stanley Cup weighs in at 34.5 pounds.

And how can you win the most valuable trophy in sports?

Play soccer.

The FIFA World Cup trophy is formed from solid 18-karat gold with a weight of over 11 pounds. The melt value of the gold itself comes in at well over $700,000, but the estimated value of the trophy is over $20 million.

Of course, there is no accounting for the subjective value of a trophy. Ask any hockey player, and they will tell you getting your name etched on the Cup is priceless.

I’ve got bad news for you. You’re probably never going to win a Lombardi, a Stanley Cup, or a FIFA World Cup trophy. I mean, you might. But you probably won’t. It takes tremendous discipline, dedication, blood, sweat, and tears, coupled with good genetics, coaching, and a little luck, to win a championship.

However, you can get gold and silver! So, in that sense, you’re already a champion!

Mike Maharrey is a journalist and market analyst for Money Metals with over a decade of experience in precious metals. He holds a BS in accounting from the University of Kentucky and a BA in journalism from the University of South Florida.

Tanzania Plans to Liquidate Some Gold Reserves to Fund Infrastructure Development

Money Metals News Service
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Tanzania Plans to Liquidate Some Gold Reserves to Fund Infrastructure Development

(Mike Maharrey, Money Metals News Service) Underscoring the fact that gold is money, Tanzania plans to use part of its gold reserves to finance infrastructure development.

Late last month, President Samia Suluhu Hassan directed the Tanzanian central bank to liquidate a portion of its $1.3 billion in gold reserves.

The move comes as foreign development aid for African countries declines.

According to data from the OECD, the dismantling of USAID by the Trump administration resulted in a 17 percent drop in international foreign aid last year.

According to official data, Official Development Assistance (ODA) to Tanzania has plunged by 84 percent since 2013, with further reductions of 9–17 percent projected for 2025–2026.

“Governments are no longer interested in providing aid to Africa, so we are reorganizing ourselves,” Minister of State Kitila Mkumbo said.

A disputed election that resulted in violent protests also disrupted the flow of funds into the East African nation. Security forces reportedly killed hundreds of people during the unrest. This prompted the EU to suspend implementation of a €156 million ($185 million) support program.

Tanzania has been increasing its gold reserves since 2023 through a domestic buying program. The country ranks as Africa’s third-largest gold producer, and accounts for about 1.3 percent of the annual global gold mine output.

According to an analysis by the Tanzania Investment and Consultant Group (TICGL), liquidating 15 to 50 percent of the country’s gold reserves could unlock $260 to $650 million in immediate liquidity.

However, TICGL analysts note the move isn’t without risks, pointing out that the country’s gold reserves “traditionally acted as a strategic buffer for Tanzania, offering protection against external shocks, currency depreciation, and inflation.”

Today, “unprecedented” fiscal pressures have “pushed the government toward monetizing this long-term asset to meet short-term financing needs.”

“Tanzania’s gold reserve sale encapsulates a classic development challenge—whether to prioritize immediate fiscal relief to sustain growth and infrastructure delivery, or to preserve long-term economic security in an era of heightened global uncertainty. This decision will shape Tanzania’s macroeconomic stability, policy credibility, and resilience for years to come.”

Tanzania has also been seeking to reduce its dependence on the U.S. dollar. A directive issued last summer mandates that all transactions in the country must be advertised and conducted in Tanzanian shillings. The policy took effect on July 1.

“Henceforth, all such payments were to be made in shillings, promoting financial stability and compliance with the law.”

Visitors will be encouraged to exchange foreign currency for Tanzanian shillings to facilitate transactions that support the local economy.

Tanzania’s plan to use part of its gold reserves to fund infrastructure development underscores gold’s value as a store of value and a source of financial security. Gold is money. It is liquid and easy to exchange for any other currency. It also comes without counterparty risk, meaning a country’s gold holdings are its own and not subject to the whims of any other government’s monetary policies.

Russia has used its extensive gold reserves to support its economy in the midst of economic sanctions imposed after it invaded Ukraine.

When you have gold, you have options. It remains to be seen how the Tanzanian move will play out in the long term, but there is no question that the fact that the country has gold reserves opens the door for it to solve its own problems when the world seems less inclined to lend a hand.

Mike Maharrey is a journalist and market analyst for Money Metals with over a decade of experience in precious metals. He holds a BS in accounting from the University of Kentucky and a BA in journalism from the University of South Florida.

Schizophrenic Man Who Talked to Undercover Agents for 5 Years Pleads Guilty to Terrorism Charge

Ken Silva
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Schizophrenic Man Who Talked to Undercover Agents for 5 Years Pleads Guilty to Terrorism Charge

(Ken Silva, Headline USA) The Justice Department announced last Friday that Michael Sam Teekaye, Jr., 22, has pled guilty to attempting to join ISIS. In the announcement, the FBI portrayed Teekaye as a terrorist mastermind.

“Michael Teekaye spent years maliciously plotting to join ISIS and murder Americans. His evil plans failed thanks to the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force. Their swift action and coordination stopped Teekaye from carrying out his deadly plans against Americans,” said Jimmy Paul, the special agent in charge of the FBI’s Baltimore field office.

However, court records reveal that Teekaye is a severely mentally ill person who had been talking to an undercover FBI agent since he was 16.

According to the Oct. 15, 2024, criminal complaint, Teekaye came on the FBI’s radar shortly after September 2019, when he “admitted he wanted to cut the head off of [a fellow student] and kill him.”  Teekaye was subject to an emergency mental health petition at the time.

The FBI learned of Teekaye about three months later, when agents learned that he was “expressing extremist Islamist ideology” online.

“Shortly thereafter, TEEKAYE began interacting with a male Online Covert Employee (“OCE”),” the criminal complaint said.

In January 2020, the FBI spoke with Teekaye’s parents and searched his laptop. Teekaye was then subject of another emergency petition and was hospitalized at the Psychiatric Institute of Washington. FBI agents interviewed him again a month later—he’s still only 16 at the time—and he told him he wanted “to go overseas as a fighter had waned, and he felt he was being used by people online,” the complaint said.

“He also said that because the FBI was watching him, he would not have a chance to pursue efforts to fight overseas,” the complaint added.

Teekaye’s since been diagnosed with early onset schizophrenia and a slew of other disorders.

Fast forward more than two years, and Teekaye was arrested for brandishing a knife outside of a school. He pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of disorderly conduct, and was given Probation Before Judgment and placed on supervised probation until September 2025.

In March 2023, Teekaye again communicated with an undercover agent online about Islamic terrorism. In these conversations, he started mulling the idea of joining an ISIS affiliate in Africa, according to the criminal complaint.

“In WhatsApp conversations with the UCO on April 12-13, 2023, TEEKAYE clarified that ‘plan A’ is to go overseas, specifically West Africa, to conduct an attack. TEEKAYE stated that ‘plan B’ is to conduct an attack in the U.S., but it is ‘too risky anyways,’” the complaint said.

It appears as though the undercover agent was a female luring him with promises of a romantic relationship, and baiting him into a potential attack on Israelis. The two discussed marriage repeatedly, according to the FBI complaint, and at one point Teekaye accused the agent of “talking like you want to do an attack with me” when they were discussing Israel.

By early October 2024, Teekaye had obtained a visa and a plane ticket to travel to Turkey.

“On October 14, 2024, FBI agents observed TEEKAYE travel to BWI airport in a rideshare vehicle, check in for flight BA 228 bound for London, and proceed through the security checkpoint. TEEKAYE was arrested at approximately 5:59PM,” the complaint said.

“After being advised of his Miranda rights, TEEKAYE made the following unprovoked statements, among others: ‘I’ll just get out in 20 years and do something here. Okay? Okay? You will never stop me. Jihad will never stop,’” the complaint added.

“While making these statements, TEEKAYE began kicking one of the FBI arresting agents. He then stated that he hoped to ‘kill a guard’ while in prison.”

Teekaye faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.

Ken Silva is the editor of Headline USA. Follow him at x.com/jd_cashless.

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