Zachary Adam Chesser
Encyclopedia
Zachary Adam Chesser is an American man who pled guilty to aiding a terrorist organization. In April 2010, under the online username Abu Talhah al-Amrikee, he posted a "warning" to the creators of South Park
suggesting that they would be killed for depicting Muhammad
in their 200th episode
. In July 2010, he was arrested on charges of aiding Al-Shabaab, which has been designated a terrorist organization by the US government. On Feb. 24, 2011, he was sentenced in federal court to 25 years in prison.
, graduating in 2008. He was known as an athlete, participating in the Oakton's football
, basketball
and crew
teams. His yearbook profile stated “As the only Caucasian member of the break-dancing club, senior Chesser was not intimidated by being the only non-Asian.”
He married in 2009 and has a son.
account called LearnTeachFightDie and a website called the mujhidblog.com. He had e-mail correspondence with Anwar al-Awlaki
, a well-known radical Muslim cleric and inciter of homegrown terrorism
. He used online media to disseminate his views, catching the attention of Jarret Brachman
of ForeignPolicy.com
who engaged Chesser in email correspondence.
In April 2010, he made a controversial post to Revolution Muslim
's website, which included a warning to South Park
creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone that they risk violent retribution for their depictions of Muhammad
. The post included the business addresses of likely targets of retribution, including Comedy Central
and Parker and Stone's production company.
Chesser threatened the South Park creators on a variety of other online platforms, including his blog and Twitter page. In one post, he likened the fate of the South Park creators to that of Theo van Gogh
, a Dutch filmmaker who was murdered in 2004 by a Muslim extremist and had a note pinned to his chest with a knife after airing his film that depicted women’s roles in Muslim societies. Chesser wrote, “We have to warn Matt and Trey that what they are doing is stupid and they will probably wind up like Theo Van Gogh if they do air this show.”
, the home of Al-Shabaab. An affidavit filed in federal court alleges that he intended to join Al-Shabab as a “foreign fighter.”
On October 20, 2010, Chesser pled guilty to three felonies: communicating threats to Parker and Stone, soliciting violent jihadists to desensitize law enforcement, and attempting to provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization. Desensitizing law enforcement means to place suspicious-looking but innocent packages in public places until police became slack at removing them, at which point a real explosive could be used. These three charges carried a maximum of 30 years in prison, Chesser was sentenced to imprisonment of 25 years. Chesser is currently incarcerated at United States Penitentiary, Marion
. His date of release is on April 30, 2032.
South Park
South Park is an American animated television series created by Trey Parker and Matt Stone for the Comedy Central television network. Intended for mature audiences, the show has become famous for its crude language, surreal, satirical, and dark humor that lampoons a wide range of topics...
suggesting that they would be killed for depicting Muhammad
Depictions of Muhammad
The permissibility of depictions of Muhammad, the founder of Islam, has long been a concern in the history of Islam. Oral and written descriptions are readily accepted by all traditions of Islam, but there is disagreement about visual depictions....
in their 200th episode
200 (South Park)
"200" is the fifth episode of the fourteenth season of South Park, and the 200th overall episode of the series. It originally aired on Comedy Central in the United States on April 14, 2010...
. In July 2010, he was arrested on charges of aiding Al-Shabaab, which has been designated a terrorist organization by the US government. On Feb. 24, 2011, he was sentenced in federal court to 25 years in prison.
Early life
Chesser participated in the Gifted and Talented program at Kilmer Middle School in northern Virginia and later attended Oakton High SchoolOakton High School
Oakton High School is a public high school in unincorporated Fairfax County, Virginia, in proximity to the town of Vienna, in the United States. It is part of Fairfax County Public Schools....
, graduating in 2008. He was known as an athlete, participating in the Oakton's football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
, basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
and crew
Sport rowing
Rowing is a sport in which athletes race against each other on rivers, on lakes or on the ocean, depending upon the type of race and the discipline. The boats are propelled by the reaction forces on the oar blades as they are pushed against the water...
teams. His yearbook profile stated “As the only Caucasian member of the break-dancing club, senior Chesser was not intimidated by being the only non-Asian.”
He married in 2009 and has a son.
Pursuit of Islamic jihad
Chesser told FBI agents he became interested in Islam in July 2008. By 2010, he had created a YouTubeYouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
account called LearnTeachFightDie and a website called the mujhidblog.com. He had e-mail correspondence with Anwar al-Awlaki
Anwar al-Awlaki
Anwar al-Awlaki was an American and Yemeni imam who was an engineer and educator by training. According to U.S. government officials, he was a senior talent recruiter and motivator who was involved with planning operations for the Islamist militant group al-Qaeda...
, a well-known radical Muslim cleric and inciter of homegrown terrorism
Homegrown terrorism
Homegrown terrorism is commonly associated with an international organization rather than being a ‘lone wolf’ act committed by isolated and disturbed individuals. It constitutes terrorist attacks from within the target nation, often Western...
. He used online media to disseminate his views, catching the attention of Jarret Brachman
Jarret Brachman
Jarret Brachman is a terrorism expert, the author of Global Jihadism: Theory and Practice and a consultant to several government agencies about terrorism.-Education and career:...
of ForeignPolicy.com
Foreign Policy
Foreign Policy is a bimonthly American magazine founded in 1970 by Samuel P. Huntington and Warren Demian Manshel.Originally, the magazine was a quarterly...
who engaged Chesser in email correspondence.
In April 2010, he made a controversial post to Revolution Muslim
Revolution Muslim
Revolution Muslim is a radical Islamist organization and hate group based in New York City that advocates the establishment of a traditionalist Islamic state, the removal of the current rulers in heavily Muslim populated nations, the destruction of Israel, and an end to what they consider "Western...
's website, which included a warning to South Park
South Park
South Park is an American animated television series created by Trey Parker and Matt Stone for the Comedy Central television network. Intended for mature audiences, the show has become famous for its crude language, surreal, satirical, and dark humor that lampoons a wide range of topics...
creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone that they risk violent retribution for their depictions of Muhammad
Depictions of Muhammad
The permissibility of depictions of Muhammad, the founder of Islam, has long been a concern in the history of Islam. Oral and written descriptions are readily accepted by all traditions of Islam, but there is disagreement about visual depictions....
. The post included the business addresses of likely targets of retribution, including Comedy Central
Comedy Central
Comedy Central is an American cable television and satellite television channel that carries comedy programming, both original and syndicated....
and Parker and Stone's production company.
Chesser threatened the South Park creators on a variety of other online platforms, including his blog and Twitter page. In one post, he likened the fate of the South Park creators to that of Theo van Gogh
Theo van Gogh (film director)
Theodoor "Theo" van Gogh was a Dutch film director, film producer, columnist, author and actor.Van Gogh worked with the Somali-born writer Ayaan Hirsi Ali to produce the film Submission, which criticized the treatment of women in Islam and aroused controversy among Muslims...
, a Dutch filmmaker who was murdered in 2004 by a Muslim extremist and had a note pinned to his chest with a knife after airing his film that depicted women’s roles in Muslim societies. Chesser wrote, “We have to warn Matt and Trey that what they are doing is stupid and they will probably wind up like Theo Van Gogh if they do air this show.”
Legal proceedings
On July 10, 2010, Chesser was arrested after attempting to board a flight to Uganda with his infant son. He admitted that he intended to continue from there to SomaliaSomalia
Somalia , officially the Somali Republic and formerly known as the Somali Democratic Republic under Socialist rule, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. Since the outbreak of the Somali Civil War in 1991 there has been no central government control over most of the country's territory...
, the home of Al-Shabaab. An affidavit filed in federal court alleges that he intended to join Al-Shabab as a “foreign fighter.”
On October 20, 2010, Chesser pled guilty to three felonies: communicating threats to Parker and Stone, soliciting violent jihadists to desensitize law enforcement, and attempting to provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization. Desensitizing law enforcement means to place suspicious-looking but innocent packages in public places until police became slack at removing them, at which point a real explosive could be used. These three charges carried a maximum of 30 years in prison, Chesser was sentenced to imprisonment of 25 years. Chesser is currently incarcerated at United States Penitentiary, Marion
United States Penitentiary, Marion
The United States Penitentiary is a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility located in Southern Precinct, unincorporated Williamson County, Illinois. The facility is located south of Marion, from St. Louis, and from Chicago. It was built in 1963 to replace the Alcatraz prison in San Francisco, which...
. His date of release is on April 30, 2032.