<p>GAINESVILLE, Fla. — A former Florida resident accused of traveling to Turkey and attempting to join the Islamic State group was indicted Tuesday on a terrorism charge.</p>
<p>A federal grand jury in Gainesville formally charged Mohamed Fathy Suliman, 33, a U.S. citizen, with attempting to provide material support for a designated foreign terrorist organization, according to court records. If convicted, he faces up to 20 years in prison.</p>
<p>“Protecting national security is a top priority of this office,” Lawrence Keefe, the U.S. attorney for the Northern District of Florida, said in a statement. “We are absolutely committed to deterring, disrupting and dismantling the plans of anyone who seeks to support a designated foreign terrorist organization."</p>
<p>According to the criminal complaint, Suliman booked a one-way flight in June 2014 from Orlando to Alexandria, Egypt, with stops in Chicago and Istanbul. Rather than traveling on to Egypt, Suliman paid cash for a one-way airline ticket to the Turkish/Syrian border, officials said. Suliman was arrested by Turkish authorities and accused of illegally crossing into Syria. He was eventually returned to the United States.</p>
<p>A search of Suliman’s emails revealed attachments that contained various audio files that consisted of messages calling for jihad, officials said.</p>
<p>Suliman’s attorney didn’t immediately respond to an email seeking comment about the case.</p>
