A former New York stockbroker-turned-Islamic State group militant has been convicted of becoming a sniper and trainer for the extremist group during its brutal reign in Syria and Iraq
In this screen grab taken from video recorded on July 19, 2019, and that has been entered into evidence during trial this week, Ruslan Maratovich Asainov, right, answers questions while in custody during an interview with an FBI agent. Asainov, a U.S. citizen, is charged with serving as a sniper and weapons trainer for the Islamic State extremist group.
In a case built largely on Asainov’s own words in messaging apps, emails, recorded phone calls and an FBI interview, prosecutors said he fought in numerous battles and built a notable profile in IS by becoming a sniper and later an instructor of nearly 100 other long-range shooters. “There's not a single piece of paper that ties Mr. Asainov to anything in the Islamic State that would tell you he, in fact, is the person he claims to be,” she said.
Fighting left a swath of deaths, displacement and destruction in major cities and beyond. The extremists lost the last remnants of their realm in 2019.. Unabashed as FBI agents questioned him, he gave his occupation as"sniper" and frankly detailed how he'd taught others, explaining that he could spend three hours just on the fine points of pulling a trigger, according to video played at trial.
He sent photos of himself in camouflage garb with a rifle and pictures of the bloodied bodies of men with whom he said he’d fought. He texted one confidante — in fact a U.S. government informant — a rundown of prominent battles in which he said he’d participated and asked for money to buy a night scope for his rifle.
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