Former US soldier indicted for attempting to join Hezbollah

WASHINGTON — A Pennsylvania man who previously served in the US Army has been indicted by a grand jury on charges of attempting to support Lebanon’s Hezbollah and of making false statements to the FBI, the US Justice Department says.

Jack Danaher Molloy, 24, is a dual citizen of the US and Ireland and traveled to Lebanon and Syria in 2024 to attempt to join Hezbollah, which is designated by the US as a foreign terrorist organization, the Justice Department says in a statement.

The department says Molloy returned to the US in late 2024 and continued making attempts to join Hezbollah. He had also promoted hatred and violence against Jews, the Justice Department says, adding he was formerly enlisted as an active-duty soldier in the US Army from mid-March to late April in 2019.

The Justice Department says Molloy lied to the FBI about his intentions to join Hezbollah when questioned upon his return to the United States in late 2024. It says he was arrested on December 6 in Chicago.

If convicted, Molloy faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for a material support charge. For false statement charges, he faces a maximum penalty of eight years in prison, a $250,000 fine, or both. A representative of Molloy cannot immediately be contacted.

Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.