Overview
- On Wednesday, Sept. 16, 2026, U.S. District Judge Anthony Trenga sentenced Mohammad Sharifullah to the maximum 20 years in prison after his April conviction for providing material support to ISIS‑K.
- Jurors in April convicted Sharifullah of a single material‑support count but could not agree that his conduct legally caused the Aug. 26, 2021 Abbey Gate bombing that killed 13 U.S. service members and about 160 Afghans.
- Prosecutors presented FBI evidence saying Sharifullah scouted a route to Hamid Karzai International Airport, received a motorcycle, funds and a SIM card from ISIS‑K, and recognized the bomber from earlier incarceration.
- Defense lawyers told the court that key incriminating statements came during long interrogations and may have been made under fear of torture in foreign custody, and they urged a shorter sentence.
- Families of the fallen gave impact statements in court and called the sentence insufficient, illustrating the case’s narrow legal reach and the wider challenge of proving causation in transnational terrorism prosecutions.