ISIS Recruit From Warwick Charged with Conspiracy to Support Islamic State

Saturday, June 13, 2015

GoLocalProv News Team

ISIS is a designated foreign terrorist organization

Nicholas Rovinski of Warwick and David Wright of Everett, MA have been charged with conspiracy to provide support to ISIS, a designated foreign terrorist organization.

Wright and Rovinski are charged with conspiring with each other, unknown conspirators and Usaamah Abdullah Rahim, Wright’s uncle, who lived in Roslindale, MA, until his death on June 2, 2015. Rahim was shot and killed after he attacked law enforcement officers in a Roslindale parking lot.

Rovinski was arrested on Thursday and will appear in federal court in Boston on Friday.

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On June 3, 2015, Wright was charged with conspiracy to obstruct justice, and he was taken into custody.

The Complete Affidavit Alleges

Beginning at a date unknown but no later than May 2015, Wright, Rovinski and Rahim conspired to commit attacks and kill persons inside the United States, which they believed would support ISIL’s objectives.

The affidavit further alleges that, in furtherance of that plan, Wright, Rovinski and Rahim conspired to attack and behead a person referred to in the affidavit as “Intended Victim-1,” a resident of New York, who had organized a conference in Garland, Texas, on May 3, 2015, featuring cartoons depicting the Islamic Prophet Muhammad. Early on May 31, 2015, Wright and Rahim drove to Rhode Island, picking up Rovinski at his residence in Warwick, Rhode Island, and driving to a Warwick beach to discuss their plot in secrecy.

At approximately 5:00 a.m. on Tuesday, June 2, 2015, it is alleged that Rahim called Wright and advised him, in another guarded conversation, that he had changed plans and that he no longer planned to conduct the attack in New York. Rahim advised Wright that, instead, he intended to attack “those boys in blue” (meaning police officers) locally in Massachusetts either that day or the next day. Wright urged him to first wipe his laptop computer and to destroy his phone so that they could not be searched by law enforcement and urged him to make a will.

Sentence For The Charges

The charging statute provides a sentence of no greater than 15 years in prison, up to life of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

The initial charge against Wright for obstruction of justice remains pending. A detention hearing has been set for Wright on Friday, June 19, 2015 at 2:00 p.m.

The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in the court of law.