Jack Danaher Molloy was indicted by a grand jury on charges of attempting to support the foreign terrorist organization Hezbollah and making false statements involving international terrorism to a department or agency of the United States, according to the DOJ.
Molloy was arrested in Chicago on Dec. 6 and transported to Pittsburgh on Dec. 30. He is a dual citizen of the United States and Ireland, and served in the U.S. Army for a short time.
Molloy allegedly traveled to Lebanon in August and tried to join the terrorist group.
While there, the DOJ said Malloy was told by multiple individuals that the time was not right and that he needed to take other steps before he could join.
According to the DOJ, Molloy then traveled from Lebanon to Syria in October and tried to fight for the group. Upon his return to the United States, Molloy allegedly continued in his quest to join Hezbollah. He allegedly communicated with individuals online and in Lebanon.
In addition, Molloy allegedly expressed his hatred toward Jewish people and also promoted violence against Jews. His electronic devices contained images and videos displaying his anti-Semitism, and his username on X was “KIKEKILLER313,” according to the DOJ.
In one WhatsApp exchange with a family member, according to the DOJ, Molloy said his “master plan was to join Hezbollah and kill Jews.” Molloy also visited a website detailing the possible incarceration location of Robert Bowers, who carried out the Pittsburgh Tree of Life Synagogue shooting in which 11 Jewish worshipers were killed.
The charge of lying to federal authorities, according to the DOJ, stems from an incident when Molloy arrived at Pittsburgh International Airport on Oct. 20. When questioned, Molloy allegedly said he had no plans to become involved with Hezbollah nor was he meeting with anyone in Syria related to joining the terrorist group.
According to the complaint, Molloy converted to Islam in February 2024 and followed the Shiite sect.
Molloy served in the U.S. Army from about March 2019 to about April 2019. On Sept. 1, 2021, he signed a contract with the U.S. Army Reserve as a cadet with the U.S. Army Reserve Officers Training Corp. (ROTC). He is no longer an ROTC member.
Molloy communicated with several people using WhatsApp, according to the complaint. One female advised Molloy to go to a mosque that was attended by Hezbollah members to attain his goal of joining the group.
“So actually you know it’s really good for you to go. You’re going to meet new people there, a lot of Shia people, a lot of Hezbollah members,” the woman told Molloy. “It’s really good for you to go, it’s beneficial and you’re going to meet a lot of new people, you’re going to feel like you know those people unlike meeting Christians who you know how they think and you’re gonna not enjoy it as much but once you meet people who have the same mentality as you, the same goals, it will bring you closer to Shia Islam.”
The same woman sent Molloy another voice message advising him to learn Arabic. “It’s going to be a huge factor. I don’t know where I saw this, but I think that in Hezbollah, you should at least have resided in Lebanon for like two years before they will accept you to join them. I’m not sure, okay. I’m not sure but you can ask around, you know if you have met the people from Hezbollah or Shiites who know about this.”
If convicted, Molloy faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for the terrorism material support charge, and up to eight years in prison and a $250,000 fine, or both, for making a false statement to agents.
