By Kanishka Singh
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – A Pennsylvania man who previously served in the U.S. Army was indicted by a grand jury on charges of attempting to support Lebanese militant group Hezbollah and of making false statements to the FBI, the U.S. Justice Department said on Thursday.
Jack Danaher Molloy, 24, was a dual citizen of the U.S. and Ireland and traveled to Lebanon and Syria in 2024 to attempt to join Hezbollah, which is designated by the U.S. as a “foreign terrorist organization,” the Justice Department said in a statement.
The department said Molloy returned to the U.S. in late 2024 and continued making attempts to join Hezbollah. He had also promoted hatred and violence against Jews, the Justice Department said, adding he was formerly enlisted as an active-duty soldier in the U.S. Army from mid-March to late April in 2019.
The Justice Department said Molloy lied to the FBI about his intentions to join Hezbollah when questioned upon his return to the United States in late 2024. It said he was arrested on Dec. 6 in Chicago.
If convicted, Molloy faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for a material support charge. For false statement charges, he faces a maximum penalty of eight years in prison, a $250,000 fine, or both. A representative of Molloy could not immediately be contacted.
(Reporting by Kanishka Singh in Washington; Editing by Bill Berkrot)
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