Zoobia Shahnaz, 27, was arrested Wednesday on charges of bank
fraud, conspiracy and money laundering, the office of Acting
U.S. Attorney Bridget Rohde in Brooklyn announced. Shahnaz
pleaded not guilty on Thursday before U.S. Magistrate Judge
Kathleen Tomlinson in Central Islip, New York, according to John
Marzulli, a spokesman for Rohde's office.
A lawyer for Shahnaz, Steve Zissou, could not immediately be
reached for comment.
Prosecutors said that between March and July of this year,
Shahnaz obtained a loan and multiple credit cards by making
false representations to financial institutions, and used them
to buy Bitcoin.
They said she then laundered the money through illicit
transactions involving shell companies in Pakistan, China and
Turkey with the ultimate goal of using the money to benefit
Islamic State.
In July, prosecutors said, Shahnaz sought to travel to Syria,
but was stopped and questioned by law enforcement at John F.
Kennedy International Airport when she tried to board a flight
to Islamabad, Pakistan.
The most serious charge, bank fraud, carries 30 years in prison,
according to Rohde's office.
(Reporting By Brendan Pierson in New York; Editing by David
Gregorio)
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