A 24-year-old former U.S. soldier living in a Pittsburgh suburb has been charged in federal court with lying to the FBI after, authorities said, he flew to the Middle East and attempted to join the terrorist group Hezbollah.
Jack Danaher Molloy, 24, of Upper St. Clair traveled to Lebanon in August in an attempt to join Hezbollah and then lied about his efforts when speaking with FBI agents in October, according to a two-count criminal complaint unsealed Monday.
Molloy converted to Islam in or around February, authorities said. On Aug. 9, he traveled to Chicago O’Hare International Airport and flew to Istanbul. Between Aug. 10 and Oct. 14, he rented homes in Lebanon.
He recently traveled from Lebanon to Syria after running into obstacles when trying to join Hezbollah, the complaint said.
A dual citizen of the U.S. and Ireland, Molloy previously served for about one month in 2019 as an active-duty soldier in the U.S. Army, the complaint said.
Molloy also supported violence and wanted to kill Jews, the complaint said. One personal email address he maintained included a reference to the phrases “Gas the Jews” and “Heil Hitler.”
Authorities arrested Molloy in Chicago and charged him with two counts of making false statements involving international terrorism. He appeared Monday in federal court in Chicago.
A spokesman for the Pittsburgh office of the FBI, which was involved in investigating Molloy, declined to comment.
It is unclear how long Molloy lived in Upper St. Clair. Authorities said he arrived at Pittsburgh International Airport on Oct. 20. At that time, he told FBI agents he had no current or future plans to become involved in terrorism.
Upper St. Clair police did not return a phone call Monday seeking comment.
If convicted, Molloy could face up to eight years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000 or both.
Shawn Brokos, director of community security for the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh, declined to discuss the case.
“We’re aware of it,” Brokos told TribLive. “And we’re grateful for the work of law enforcement in another matter of people targeting Jews.”
