Ikaika Erik Kang, a sergeant military air traffic controller, is accused of trying to pass military documents classified as “secret”, a small drone and training to people he believed were Isis supporters but were actually undercover Federal Bureau of Investigation agents.
Kang is charged with four counts of attempting to provide material support to the Islamic State group based on events that occurred in Hawaii between June 21 and July 8, they said. Each charge carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. An FBI document said he hoped to “kill a bunch of people” with his rifle, NPR reported.
Ikaika Kang, 34, assigned to the 25th Combat Aviation Brigade, 25th Infantry Division, has been under investigation by the army and FBI for more than a year and was taken into custody by FBI agents on Saturday, according to a bureau statement provided to Reuters.
At the time, the soldier possessed two firearms that were registered in his name – an AR-15-style weapon and a.40-caliber pistol. It also says he provided “a GoPro Karma drone, a chest rig (which is a piece of military-style equipment worn over the shoulders that has chest pouches and is typically used to hold tactical equipment, ammunition, and other military gear), and other military-style clothing and gear”.
Kang’s attorney, Birney Bervar, previously told NBC News that Kang, who served in Iraq in 2010 and Afghanistan in 2014, “may have some service-related mental health issues which the government was aware of but neglected to treat”. He also allegedly wanted to make training videos for the terrorist organization to instruct its agents in hand-to-hand combat, in which he is an expert.
Kang is set to appear in court next on July 24.