An Ontario Man Said He Committed Terrorist Acts & His Charge Has Reportedly Been Dropped
Last year, he falsely claimed he was a member of a terrorist group in Syria.
An Ontario man who claimed he had joined a terrorist group just had his charges reportedly dropped.
In a news release posted on September 25, 2020, the RCMP had arrested and charged 26-year-old Shehroze Chaudhry from Burlington, Ontario, after he claimed he travelled to Syria in 2016 to join ISIS. Chaudhry also claimed he committed terrorist acts with them, and he was charged with hoax-terrorist activity.
Several interviews were allegedly published in the media, aired on podcasts, and even featured on a TV documentary that raised public safety concerns amongst the public, according to the RCMP.
"Hoaxes can generate fear within our communities and create the illusion there is a potential threat to Canadians, while we have determined otherwise," Superintendent Christopher deGale, the officer in charge of the RCMP O Division's Integrated National Security Enforcement Team stated. "As a result, the RCMP takes these allegations very seriously, particularly when individuals, by their actions, caused the police to enter into investigations in which human and financial resources are invested and diverted from their ongoing priorities."
On Sunday, October 10, The Canadian Press reported that Chaudhry's lawyer, Nader Hasan, had issued a statement that said the charge has been withdrawn.
"Mr. Chaudhry's decision to enter into a peace bond and remain on conditions for an additional 12 months is an acknowledgement that he made mistakes," Hasan told the publication. "But those were mistakes borne out of immaturity — not sinister intent. And certainly not criminal intent."
Narcity reached out to the RCMP for comment but did not immediately hear back before the time of publication.