A 22-year-old Maryland man was sentenced Wednesday to 15 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to attempting to provide material support to the Islamic State group.

Michael Sam Teekaye Jr., of Hanover, Maryland, pleaded guilty in January to attempting to provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization. His sentence, imposed by U.S. District Judge Adam Abelson, includes lifetime supervised release after he completes his prison term. He had faced up to 20 years in prison.

According to court documents cited by the Department of Justice, between March and April 2023, Teekaye engaged in conversations with an undercover officer in which he said he wanted to travel to Africa to join ISIS as a "mujahid," or fighter.

Teekaye also told the officer that his "plan B" was to carry out an attack in the United States against Jews and supporters of Israel. He said he researched buildings near him that support Israel and thought about how to "gun down key members or anyone involved."

"Mr. Teekaye sought to support a foreign terrorist organization that has committed unspeakable acts of violence and took real-world steps to carry out a terrorist attack in Maryland," Kelly Hayes, the U.S. attorney for Maryland, said in a news release.

"Today's sentence underscores that those who seek to aid terrorist organizations will be identified, prosecuted, and held fully accountable. I commend the FBI's Joint Terrorism Task Force and our law enforcement partners for their exceptional work in disrupting this threat and protecting our communities before any harm could occur. There is no margin for error when it comes to terrorism."

In May and June 2024, Teekaye purchased ammunition and range time at a shooting range in Severn, Maryland, as part of what he described as "training," according to DOJ. He later attempted to buy a Kalashnikov K-9 9 mm rifle in July 2024 but was denied because he was on probation for a state criminal case.

Court documents also detailed Teekaye's contact with a Somali ISIS fighter, with whom he coordinated his travel plans. Teekaye obtained an Ethiopian e-visa and received airline tickets from the ISIS fighter to fly from Baltimore-Washington International Airport to Somalia via Istanbul, Turkey, with a layover in London.

On Oct. 10, 2024, Teekaye sent the undercover officer a photo of himself wearing a mask and holding a machete, referring to himself as "Abdullah the islamophobe slayer." Four days later, he was arrested at the airport after checking in for his flight.

Following his arrest, DOJ said Teekaye told federal law enforcement, "I'm just gonna get out in 20 years and I'm just gonna do it here. OK? OK? It will never stop. Jihad will never stop. I'll just do it here then, when I get out."

He then referenced a recent attack in which ISIS prison inmates killed four Russian penal colony guards, and he threatened to kill a guard while in prison.

"You think 20 years is something? I'll be like 40 when I get out, then I'll just do it. I don't care. It will never stop," Teekaye said, according to DOJ. "Jihad will never stop. I'll come and I'll kill your soldiers. I'll kill you, and I'll kill ..."

Teekaye kicked and spat on one of the arresting officers, according to DOJ.

The FBI searched Teekaye's cellphone and found that he had searches for specific Jewish and Israeli people and organizations in Howard County. Investigators also found searches for "how to break into a home" and "how to escape murder."

One of those individuals, a rabbi, submitted a victim-impact statement. The rabbi also spoke at the sentencing, detailing how Teekaye's crime affected him and the Jewish community.