Court Case

US v. Augustine

December 2016 (Updated April 6, 2022)
New York, NY
ISIS

Bernard Augustine is accused of attempting to provide material support to ISIS. Tunisian authorities arrested him as he tried to make his way to Libya in 2016 in hopes of waging jihad. If convicted, Augustine faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. Bernard Raymond Augustine was convicted in August 2021 of attempting to provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization, the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham ("ISIS" or "the Islamic State").

Case Updates

2022-04-06 | Man Sentenced to 20 Years in Prison for Attempting to Provide Material Support to ISIS

Bernard Raymond Augustine was sentenced today to 20 years in prison for attempting to provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization, the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham, aka ISIS. In February 2016, Augustine traveled from San Francisco to Northern Africa with the goal of joining ISIS. After arriving in Tunisia, Augustine was detained by local authorities before he could make it to ISIS-controlled territory across the border in Libya. He was returned to the United States in 2018 and prosecuted in the Eastern District of New York. In the months leading up to his travel, Augustine watched ISIS propaganda, including videos glorifying ISIS's violence, such as "The Flames of War." He conducted internet searches for, among other things, "how to safely join ISIS," and reviewed websites related to ISIS recruitment practices, including one titled, "How does a Westerner join ISIS? Is there a recruitment or application process?" Augustine also posted numerous statements in support of ISIS and violent extremism such as "the Islamic State is the true Islam," "Muslims who leave the west . . . answer the call for the struggle, and march until they are victorious or martyred are the true believers," and the ISIS caliphate "can't be established and maintained except through the blood of the mujahideen who practice the true belief." The defendant represented himself at trial and testified that he maintained his interest in supporting ISIS. Augustine testified that ISIS videos of members executing Syrian captives and beheadings were "good" and "really cool." He admitted that one way he intended to provide material support to ISIS was to participate in ISIS propaganda videos by providing the necessary English-language voice over. When asked to confirm his testimony that he "would do it all again and would go back today," Augustine responded, "No, tomorrow, when they let me off."

2021-08-23 | Brooklyn Federal Jury Convicts U.S. Citizen of Attempting to Provide Material Support to ISIS

Bernard Raymond Augustine, a U.S. citizen and California resident, was convicted in August 2021 of attempting to provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization, the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham ("ISIS" or "the Islamic State"). The evidence at trial established that in February 2016, the defendant traveled from San Francisco, California, to Northern Africa, with the goal of joining ISIS, a designated foreign terrorist organization. In the months leading up to his travel, Augustine watched ISIS propaganda, including videos glorifying ISIS's violence, such as "The Flames of War." He conducted internet searches for, among other things, "how to safely join ISIS," and reviewed websites related to ISIS recruitment practices, including one titled "How does a Westerner join ISIS? Is there a recruitment or application process?" Augustine also posted numerous statements in support of ISIS and violent extremism on the internet. He posted statements such as "the Islamic State is the true Islam," "Muslims who leave the west . . . answer the call for the struggle, and march until they are victorious or martyred are the true believers," and the ISIS caliphate "can't be established and maintained except through the blood of the mujahideen who practice the true belief." He then purchased a one-way airplane ticket and traveled to Tunisia so that he could present himself as a willing participant in ISIS's terrorist activity. After arriving in Tunisia, Augustine was detained by local authorities before he could make it to ISIS-controlled territory across the border in Libya. He was subsequently returned to the United States in 2018, where he was brought to the Eastern District of New York for prosecution.

Case Documents