An Upper St. Clair man allegedly spent months traveling through Lebanon and Syria last year attempting to join Hezbollah, an Iranian-backed militant group in Lebanon.
Jack Danaher Molloy, 24, is accused of trying to aid a U.S.-designated foreign terrorist group and making false statements to the FBI.
In a federal complaint against Mr. Molloy — previously an active-duty member of the U.S. military — investigators wrote that he spent much of August, September and October traveling throughout the Middle East, namely Lebanon and Syria.
He was questioned by federal agents upon his return to Pittsburgh International Airport late Oct. 20.
Mr. Molloy, who is a dual citizen of the U.S. and Ireland, told them that he was “not completely opposed to what [Hezbollah] does,” according to the complaint, and that he “emotionally supports” the militia. However, he told the agents that he did not have plans to become involved with Hezbollah.
Investigators laid out across more than two dozen pages evidence they say proves otherwise, including voice messages sent to Mr. Molloy via WhatsApp from multiple unidentified people who seemed to be helping him join Hezbollah.
One unidentified woman told Mr. Molloy that he should go to a mosque attended by Hezbollah members.
“So actually you know, it’s really good for you to go,” the woman said according to investigators’ transcription of the voice message. “You’re going to meet new people there, a lot of Shia people, a lot of Hezbollah members. It’s really good for you to go …”
In a later voice note, the same woman advised Mr. Molloy to learn Arabic, according to the complaint: “It’s going to help you in Lebanon, and even if you want to join any resistance, especially Hezbollah, it’s very important or you to learn Arabic.”
Another voice memo from a second unidentified woman warned Mr. Molloy that his Irish heritage and appearance would make him suspect among militia members. She called Mr. Molloy by his nickname, Yahya.
“You have to be very careful, because this might escalate to the point of you being suspected as a Mossad, because usually when it comes to Hezib that’s not actually how it happens,” she said according to the complaint. “You have to know people in Hezib, they have to make an extremely big background check on you.”
Hezbollah, a Shiite militant group, was formed with Iranian support in 1982 during what the Associated Press called the height of the Israeli invasion of Lebanon. The group has since become, according to the AP, “the largest and most heavily armed militant group in the Middle East.” Hezbollah, in order to stand with Hamas after its Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel, launched its own strike.
The complaint notes that Mr. Molloy’s Airbnb in the Lebanese city of Forn El Chebback was close to Hezbollah headquarters. Investigators said he made the reservation the same day that Hezbollah’s leader was killed in an Israeli air strike. An unidentified man told Mr. Molloy in a voice note that he “should for sure try to find, for tonight, somewhere a bit further away to sleep.”
Investigators alleged that Mr. Molloy told friends and family members about his plans. The complaint points to an undated WhatsApp exchange between Mr. Molloy and his mother in which she asks him: “But your master plan was to join Hezbollah and kill Jews?”
“Yes,” Mr. Molloy replied, according to the complaint.
He told another unnamed associate that he’d “been told very politely that Hezb isn’t recruiting anymore,” according to the complaint. He said he planned to go to Iran in the coming days.
Authorities also detailed antisemitic photos saved on Mr. Molloy’s cellphone that depicted violence against Jews. In October, he allegedly created an email address called “[antisemitic slur]killer.” He searched online for “is Hezbollah recruiting” the same day.
U.S. Attorney Eric Olshan said Mr. Molloy “appears to have worked hard to achieve his terrorist goals,” calling those actions a “sobering reminder of the threat of radicalized violence against Americans.”
Once Mr. Molloy returned to the U.S. and was living in Upper St. Clair, he allegedly continued to search for information on joining Hezbollah and kept in contact with people in Lebanon. In November, he mused to a friend via the social media site X that he “would be able to tell a great story about his travels, ultimately culminating in joining [Hezbollah],” according to investigators.
Mr. Molloy was arrested in Chicago, where he’d previously attended college, on Dec. 6. He was brought back to Pittsburgh by U.S. Marshals earlier this week.
First Published: January 2, 2025, 10:43 p.m.
Updated: January 3, 2025, 12:02 p.m.
