A man from Uzbekistan, who left New York City around ten years ago, has been brought back to stand trial after reportedly leading a group of people aspiring to join ISIS. This group, linked to his Brooklyn residence, was informally referred to as the “tea party.”
Davud Ansariy, now 41, allegedly led a faction that harbored extreme anti-American sentiments. Members of this group are said to have contemplated serious acts of violence, including plans to assassinate then-President Barack Obama, bombing Coney Island, and attacking law enforcement officials from 2014 to 2016, according to federal authorities.
Ansariy, who gained U.S. citizenship, left the city for Turkey on a one-way ticket in May 2016. He was apprehended in Georgia on Wednesday and subsequently flown back to JFK Airport in Queens. There, he was met by a team of FBI and NYPD agents who awaited him on the tarmac.
Following his arrival, Ansariy appeared in Brooklyn federal court, where he was ordered held without bail. If convicted of multiple terrorism-related charges, he could face up to 35 years in prison.
James C. Barnacle Jr., from the FBI’s New York field office, commented that this case demonstrates the agency’s commitment to pursuing individuals who escape justice by fleeing the country.
Between 2014 and 2016, Ansariy is accused of financially supporting individuals with aspirations of joining both ISIS and the Al-Nusrah Front, as outlined in court documents. The group allegedly used coded language to communicate, referring to themselves as “chayxona,” which means “tea house” or “tea party” in Uzbek.
Prosecutors claim Ansariy contributed to financing the travel of three people to Syria in 2013, all believed to have been killed. He also reportedly raised funds for an accomplice, Akhror Saidakhmetov, who was arrested in 2015 after declaring support for ISIS and telling an FBI informant about his violent intentions if he couldn’t secure travel documents.
Saidakhmetov purportedly expressed his desire to acquire a firearm and attack police, claiming it was permissible under American law.
Additionally, another member of this group, Abdulrasul Hasanovich Juraboev, allegedly conveyed to the FBI that he would undertake a bombing at Coney Island if directed to do so by ISIS. He also reportedly contemplated the notion of becoming a martyr by attacking the former president.
Ansariy entered a plea of not guilty on charges of conspiring and trying to provide material support to the two terrorist organizations. His lawyer did not provide a statement after the hearing.
