A Hawaii-based Army soldier who talked of attacking his own base was sentenced to 25 years in a federal prison Tuesday, the Justice Department said.
Ikaika Erik Kang, 35, a Sergeant First Class, was stationed at the Schofield Barracks near Honolulu.
Court documents say Kang told a confidential source that he planned for a military transfer to the Middle East so he could join the Islamic State, better known as ISIS. He also told the source he considered launching a suicide attack on the Schofield Barracks in the name of the Islamic State.
“Kang swore to defend the United States as a member of our military, but betrayed his country by swearing allegiance to ISIS and attempting to provide it material support,” said Assistant Attorney General John C. Demers. “With the sentence imposed today, he is being held accountable for his betrayal and his crimes.
Kang pleaded guilty earlier this year and agreed to serve 25 years in a federal prison and at least 20 years of supervised release.
U.S. District Judge Susan Oki Mollway told Kang his conduct was “extremely serious” and “had the potential to be disastrous.”
Prosecutors say Kang tried to provide the Islamic State with a training video of fighting techniques, classified U.S. military documents and military gear, including tactical equipment and ammunition. Kang is also accused of trying to provide the Islamic State with a camera-equipped commercially available drone.
However, Kang did not actually provide the Islamic State with any materials because the people he was in contact with were undercover FBI agents, not Islamic State sympathizers.
The documents Kang provided to the agents included classified air traffic control documents that describe call signs, aircraft types, route points, radio frequencies and procedures; the military’s “weapons file” which describes the armament capabilities of U.S. armed forces; and sensitive materials containing personally identifiable information of U.S. service members.
Kang became radicalized by at least 2016, regularly watching ISS propaganda and training videos, the Justice Department said. He is also alleged to have made numerous statements in support of the Islamic State.
The Joint Terrorism Task Force, the FBI and the U.S. Army Criminal Investigative Division investigated the case.
• Jeff Mordock can be reached at jmordock@washingtontimes.com.
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