Jaelyn Young, a Black cheerleader, is either on her way to the clink or a mental health facility. The 20 year old, bright-eyed beauty that hails from Vicksburg, Mississippi recently pleaded guilty in Aberdeen federal court to conspiring to provide material support to a terrorist organization.
According to court charges, Young and her fiancé, Muhammad Dakhlalla of Starkville, wanted to join ISIS, a jihadist militant group that proclaims in its mission intent to terrorize Westernized nations, particularly the United States, and often claims responsibility for many terrorist attacks including the recent attacks in Brussels.
The case stems from a sting that occurred months ago when Young, who was a student and cheerleader at Mississippi State University, and her fiancé unwittingly contacted undercover FBI employees online stating that they needed help traveling to Syria to join the Islamic State group.
Authorities closed in on the aspiring Jihadi couple last August when the two attempted to board an airplane at the Golden Triangle Regional Airport with hopes of flying to Turkey and crossing the border to Syria.
According to reports, before the couple departed, they left farewell letters explaining that they would never be back. Young shared that she was a going to Syria of her own free will and that she was in fact a leader on the mission to join ISIS.
Early this month, Dakhlalla pleaded guilty to similar charges. He is awaiting sentencing.
In a report, prosecutors note that during his plea Dakhlalla shared that “After her conversion, Young distanced herself from family and friends and felt spending time with non-Muslims would be a bad influence … Young continually asked Dakhlalla when they were going to join (the Islamic State group) and began to express hatred for the U.S. government and to express support for the implementation of Sharia law in the United States.”
Young decided to convert to Islam before meeting Dakhlalla, who was raised muslim. After converting, Young was often seen wearing a burka and became critical of how muslims are treated in the West.
If convicted, Young faces $250K in fines and up to 20 years in prison with lifetime probation.
