Pennsylvania man who served in the military indicted on charges he tried to join Hezbollah ‘to kill Jews’: DOJ
The man from Pennsylvania who served briefly in the US military faces charges of trying to join the terrorist militant group Hezbollah in an attempt to “kill Jews”, the Department of Justice (DOJ) said.
Jack Danaher Molloy, 24, was indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on Thursday for allegedly traveling to Lebanon and Syria last year to join an Iran-backed group despite knowing it was a U.S.-designated terrorist organization.
According to the affidavit, Molloy, a dual American and Irish citizen who previously served on active duty in armyhe tried to join a terrorist organization several times.
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A grand jury indicted Jack Danaher Molloy, 24, of attempting to provide support to the foreign terrorist organization Hezbollah and making false statements involving international terrorism to a United States department or agency. (Ministry of Justice)
The DOJ said the 24-year-old converted to Islam in 2024
After his conversion, he contacted people in Lebanon while in the country in August 2024 about becoming a Hezbollah fighter, according to the DOJ. His contacts replied that it was not the right time and that he needed to take further steps.
Molloy went to Syria in October 2024 and tried to rejoin. On his flight back to the US, the DOJ said, he lied to FBI agents at Pittsburgh International Airport when he said he had no intention of joining Hezbollah, had no business in Syria and had not met anyone there.
When he returned to the state, he continued his attempts to join the organization, according to the DOJ.
Hezbollah terrorists train in southern Lebanon near the Israeli border. (AP/Hassan Ammar)
Authorities allege that Molloy expressed hatred and incited violence against the Jewish people through social networks.
A statement reviewed by Fox News Digital said Molloy posted anti-Semitic sentiments on social media.
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Court documents also reveal that he told a family member that his “main plan was to join Hezbollah and kill Jews.”
Jack Danaher Molloy faces a maximum sentence of 28 years in prison. (Ministry of Justice)
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While Molloy lived in Upper St. Clair, Pennsylvania, the DOJ said, allegedly also visited a website detailing the possible detention location of Robert Bowers, who carried out Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh shooting in which 11 Jews were killed.
If convicted, Molloy faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison for pecuniary support. He faces a maximum penalty of eight years in prison, a $250,000 fine, or both for making false statements.
