Trial Underway After Orange County Man Recruited to ISIS

The man who allegedly recruited a Hudson Valley 24-year-old to join ISIS is now on trial in New York.

Federal prosecutors are hoping to prove that Ahmed Mohammed el-Gammal from Arizona was instrumental in helping a Goshen High School graduate join ISIS. Samy el-Goarany grew up near Middletown and, according to a report by the Tuscon.com, was killed fighting for the Islamic State in Turkey back in 2015.

El-Goarany, the son of a real estate broker in Orange County, communicated with el -Gammal through social media. Prosecutors want to prove that the Hudson Valley man was persuaded to join ISIS by the defendant.

Defense attorneys are arguing that the Goshen High graduate left the country on his own and that conversations with el-Gammal had nothing to do with his recruitment into the terrorist organization. They plan to submit a video showing the Hudson Valley man proclaiming he arrived in Turkey all by himself, with no financial assistance.

Prosecutors are confident that they can provide a link between the two and will present six months of communications via social media as proof. The trial is expected to last for three weeks.