On Jan. 10, Tairod Pugh, a 47-year-old US Air Force veteran from Neptune, N.J., took a commercial flight from Cairo to Istanbul, Turkey.
He told Turkish officials he was there for vacation. They didn’t believe him. He was sent back to Cairo and then deported to the United States. In the process, several items of Pugh’s were seized by authorities, including two backpacks with compasses, a flashlight, a fatigue jacket, and camping clothes. They also seized various electronic devices, including a laptop computer.
After Mr. Pugh’s return to the US, a federal judge issued a search warrant to allow the FBI to examine Pugh’s electronic devices. Although it seemed that someone had tried to damage the laptop with water, forensic specialists were able to recover a letter to Pugh’s Egyptian wife, according to an FBI affidavit filed in the case. They also discovered 180 jihadist propaganda videos, including a video showing prisoners being lined up and shot in the head, one-by-one, by fighters with the Islamic State group.
The FBI also found a chart of crossing points from Turkey into Syria indicating which areas inside Syria were controlled by IS, according to the affidavit.
The letter to Pugh’s wife, Misha, was written in early January. According to the affidavit, the letter says in part: “I am a Mujahid. I am a sword against the oppressor and a shield for the oppressed. I will use the talents and skills given to me by Allah to establish and defend the Islamic States. There is only 2 possible outcomes for me. Victory or Martyr. If Allah gives us Victory we will have a home in Al-sham [Syria]. I will send for you when it is safe. You will have a nice home around believers. If I am made a martyr we will have a mansion of indescribable beauty on a magnificent plot of land.”
Pugh has been charged in a two-count indictment with attempting to join the Islamic State group and with attempting to destroy potential evidence. If convicted, he faces up to 35 years in prison.
