HONOLULU (AP) - The Latest on a Hawaii-based soldier being arrested on terrorism charges (all times local):
5 p.m.
The defense attorney for a U.S. soldier arrested on terrorism charges says it appears his client may suffer from service-related mental health issues of which the government was aware but neglected to treat.
Lawyer Birney Bervar said Monday Sgt. 1st Class Ikaika Kang was a decorated veteran of two deployments.
The FBI arrested the 34-year-old in Hawaii on Saturday after a yearlong investigation. Investigators say Kang pledged allegiance to the Islamic State group and helped purchase a drone for the organization to use against American forces.
Kang made his first appearance in federal court on Monday on terrorism charges. He will face a detention hearing Thursday.
Kang enlisted in the Army in December 2001, just months after the Sept. 11 attacks. He served tours in Iraq and Afghanistan.
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3:15 p.m.
A 34-year-old U.S. soldier based in Hawaii pledged his allegiance to the Islamic State group, helped purchase a drone for the organization to use against American forces and said he wanted to use his rifle to “kill a bunch of people.”
Those are the allegations made in an affidavit FBI Special Agent Jimmy Chen supporting charges made against Ikaika Kang, who was arrested Saturday night.
Kang, a sergeant first class, made his first appearance in federal court on Monday on terrorism charges. He will face a detention hearing Thursday.
The 26-page affidavit alleges Kang copied secret military documents in 2015 and attempted to provide them to Islamic State through undercover FBI agents. The affidavit says he also made combat training videos for the organization’s soldiers, and he made his pledge to the terrorist group in English and repeated it in Arabic.
Birney Bervar, Kang’s appointed attorney, says he still doesn’t know much about the case. He said he only talked to Kang for a few minutes.
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2 p.m.
The FBI says a Hawaii-based soldier has been arrested after allegedly attempting to provide classified documents and a drone to the Islamic State group.
A criminal complaint filed by the FBI said Monday that Ikaika Kang attempted to provide classified and unclassified military documents and a drone to the organization. It says Kang also attempted to teach the group combat techniques.
A special agent made the allegations in a complaint filed in federal court in Honolulu. Kang is scheduled to make an initial appearance before a magistrate judge Monday afternoon.
FBI spokesman Arnold Laanui said SWAT team special agents arrested the 34-yar-old on Saturday.
He said the soldier was with the 25th Infantry Division at Schofield Barracks.
Kang’s military service records say he enlisted in the Army in 2001. He served tours in Iraq and Afghanistan.
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11:30 a.m.
A U.S. official said Monday that an active duty Army soldier has been arrested by the FBI in Hawaii on terrorism charges.
The official said that the solder was arrested because of connections he had with the Islamic State group.
He said the soldier was with the 25th Infantry Division at Schofield Barracks in Honolulu.
No other details were available.
The official was not authorized to discuss the matter publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.
FBI spokesman Arnold Laanui said that SWAT team special agents arrested 34-year-old Ikaika Kang on Saturday. Laanui said the FBI will have more information when a criminal complaint has been filed.
Laanui said Kang is scheduled for an initial appearance in federal court on Monday afternoon.
His military service record said Kang was an air traffic control operator at Wheeler Army Airfield. His rank was sergeant first class.
Kang enlisted in the Army in December 2001 just months after the Sept. 11 attacks. He served in Iraq from March 2010 to February 2011 and Afghanistan from July 2013 to April 2014.
Kang was assigned to the headquarters of the 25th Combat Aviation Brigade.
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Baldor reported from Washington.
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