EPA Employee Faces Charges for Attempted ISIS Aid, Threats Against Jewish Community

In a deeply disturbing case that underscores the national security vulnerabilities right inside our government institutions, a California state employee has been charged with attempting to provide material support to ISIS and making violent threats against Jews.

Ammaad Akhtar, a 33-year-old hazardous substances engineer employed by the California Environmental Protection Agency, was arrested Tuesday after a months-long undercover investigation by federal authorities. According to the Department of Justice, Akhtar not only expressed support for jihadist violence but actively attempted to arm and fund one of the world’s deadliest terrorist organizations.

Here’s what the investigation uncovered:

• Akhtar sent financial support to a law enforcement asset he believed was an ISIS member, believing the funds would help purchase firearms.

• In June, he handed over $400, clothing, binoculars, two loaded firearms, and six magazines to an undercover agent. He also pledged allegiance to ISIS on the spot.

• He openly fantasized about attacking Jews, telling the agent, “the day will come when the head of every evil, dirty Jew will have their heads plucked like chicken.”

• Akhtar described tailing a Jewish man he saw regularly outside a local temple in Stockton, even attempting to identify where the man lived.

• He requested instructions for making homemade bombs and spoke of carrying out attacks at populated events.

Akhtar, a graduate of the University of the Pacific, presented himself on LinkedIn as a “great team player” and a “great leader.” He was listed as a current employee on the California EPA’s website at the time of his arrest. The agency claims it learned of the charges only after Akhtar was taken into custody and says it will cooperate fully with the federal investigation.

This case raises alarming questions: How does a radical jihadist make it through the vetting process to gain employment in a state environmental agency? What other extremists have slipped through the cracks?

This isn’t just a one-off incident it’s a wake-up call. With Hamas-linked extremists already threatening American contractors in Gaza, and anti-Israel rhetoric flooding U.S. institutions, we must recognize that the threat is not just abroad it’s embedded within.

If convicted, Akhtar faces up to 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. But the larger question is whether our national security apparatus is prepared to prevent the next Akhtar from infiltrating public service and planning terror from within.

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