Tajik Charged with Supporting Terror Was Just a Truck Driver at the Gun Range Defense Says

Tajik Charged with Supporting Terror Was Just a Truck Driver at the Gun Range Defense Says by Matthew Russell Lee, Patreon Book Substack EDNY COURTHOUSE, Nov 3 – Mansuri Manuchekhri is on trial in the Eastern District of New York, adjacent to the trials of Huawei and the two Cleveland Guardians pitchers.  He is charged as a supporter of ISIS and of ISIS-K, sent to Syria and Turkey from 2021 to 2023 and resulting, they say, in a deadly attack on a church in Istanbul in 2024.   On November 3, with the pitchers still in jury selection,  Mansuri Manuchekhri's defense told a counter story. He is a Tajik truck driver who lives in Brooklyn but carries loads out of state with his friends. Yes, he has visited gun ranges - who hasn't?   He put up videos of them to show his friends- followers?- himself indulging in "something uniquely American."    The prosecution has charged him with possession of firearms by an alien unlawfully present in the US, alleging immigration fraud consisting of overstaying a 2016 tourist visa and entering into a sham marriage in 2017 to attempt to gain legal status.   Perhaps in response, and/or to explain disposably income going to Syria and Turkey, his lawyers called him a bachelor.    The trial(s) continue in EDNY, even amid access issues. This case is USA v. Manuchekhri, 1:25-cr-88 (Gonzalez)  *** Your support means a lot. As little as $5 a month helps keep us going and grants you access to exclusive bonus material on our Patreon page. Click here to become a patron. Feedback: Editorial [at] innercitypress.com Mail: Box 130222, Chinatown Station, NY NY 10013 Other, earlier Inner City Press are listed here, and some are available in the ProQuest service, and now on Lexis-Nexis.  Copyright 2006-2026 Inner City Press, Inc. To request reprint or other permission, e-contact Editorial [at] innercitypress.com