New York man Arafat Nagi arrested for allegedly trying to join ISIS

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Arafat Nagi of Lackawanna, New York has been arrested on charges of trying to support the terrorist group, officials announced Wednesday
Authorities started investigating Nagi after receiving a report from a neighbor, who became concerned about the man's jihadi dreams
Nagi allegedly traveled to Turkey twice in the past three years to join ISIS, but failed both times

By Associated Press and Dailymail.com Reporter

Published: 10:16 EST, 29 July 2015 | Updated: 14:01 EST, 29 July 2015

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A 44-year-old Upstate New York man once accused of threatening to behead his own daughter has been arrested for trying to join the Islamic State.

In a Wednesday morning press conference in Buffalo, federal officials announced the arrest of ISIS supporter Arafat Nagi.

According to the criminal complaint against Nagi, officials were first tipped off about his jihadi dreams from 'a person previously convicted of terrorism offenses who is cooperating with the government.'

U.S. Attorney William J. Hochul Jr. also said that a resident informed the government that Nagi 'espoused violent jihad and constituted a threat to those in the United States

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Supporter: Arafat Nagi, 44, of Lackawanna, New York, has been arrested on charges of trying to support the terrorist group ISIS, officials announced Wednesday. Above, police execute a search warrant on the man's home Wednesday morning

'Unfortunately this is yet another occasion when the worldwide fight against international terrorism has returned to Western New York,' Hochul said during the Wednesday press conference.

In the course of the government's investigation, they learned that Nagi flew to Turkey twice in the past three years in failed attempts to join ISIS.

The first trip came in October 2012, but Nagi had to turn right back around to the U.S. because of a gallbladder infection.

Hiding anything? Investigators search a garage off of Nagi's home in Lackawanna on Wednesday, following his arrest

Father: Six children were seen leaving the home in Lackawanna on Wednesday

Troubled neighborhood? The home is just one block from the home were two of the Lackawanna six lived before travelling to Afghanistan before the 9/11 attacks to train as terrorists

Two years later, Nagi returned to Turkey, staying in Istanbul for 10 days before moving onto Yemen for the nearly two-month-long trip.

Though he was unsuccessful in joining ISIS on this trip as well, he came prepared bringing military items including body armor, a Shahada flag, combat boots, a hunting knife, a machete and night vision goggles.

Officials say Nagi's Twitter account was also littered with messages pledging support to the terrorist group currently trying to establish an caliphate in Syria and Iraq.

Nagi is due in court later Wednesday to face a charge of attempting to support a terrorist organization, which could land him up to 15 years in prison and with a $250,000 fine.

Authorities say his social media posts and travel records were checked out as part of the investigation.

Police executed a search warrant Wednesday morning at Nagi's home on Olcott Street in the Buffalo suburb of Lackawanna and six children were seen leaving the house.

The house is located just one block from where two of the Lackawanna six lived, before the group traveled to Afghanistan before the 9/11 attacks to train as terrorists.

This is not the first time that Nagi has raised the attention of local authorities.

Nagi was previously charged with menacing in the third degree and criminal possession of a weapon in the fourth degree after allegedly threatening to shoot and behead a woman claiming to be his daughter.

The victim called police after Nagi pulled up in a vehicle next to her and threatened her with a large knife. When police pulled him over, they found the knife in the car.