COLUMBUS, Ohio – A reduced prison sentence is appropriate for an Ohio man who tried to help the Islamic State group, a defense attorney argued ahead of a June 7 sentencing, citing the defendant’s youth, his remorse and his mental health struggles.
At issue is the case of Aaron Daniels of Columbus, who pleaded guilty last July to a charge accusing him of attempting to travel to Libya to join the group.
Defense attorney George Chaney asked for a two-year sentence and five years of supervision afterward in a court filing last month.
Daniels, now 21, was doing well in high school until he began suffering from schizophrenia, and was affected by that illness when he was communicating online with extremists, Chaney said. Daniels initially looked for sponsorship to help him with his goal of becoming an Islamic scholar, but was then exploited by extremists trying to radicalize American youth, a May 11 court filing said.
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