HARRISBURG, Pa. -Jalil Aziz, 19, was in Federal Court Wednesday for his arraignment and detention hearing. Aziz was indicted Tuesday on charges of conspiring and attempting to provide material support to ISIL. He has been in jail since December 17 when federal agents raided his home on Fulton St. On Wednesday, the court ruled he will remain in jail on no bail.
Aziz was calm as he stood before the judge. He said," yes, your honor" when asked if he understood the charges against him. He could face 40 years in prison, 6 years of probation and a $500,000 fine if he is convicted. He entered a not guilty plea. The government called him a danger to the community and a flight risk. They say from his 57 Twitter accounts the evidence is strong. They say they can see his support for ISIL in his own words. The government also believes Aziz's parents may have known what he was doing.
The defense says he has no criminal record, no passport, no job, no money and in turn, no way to leave the country. At anytime, his detention can be revisited. His trial is set to begin on February 2.