Canadian man sentenced to 50 years for ISIS-inspired attack on US prison officers

Sentence runs consecutive to 40 years already being served for planned 2016 New York attack

By LineZotpaper

Published20 October 2026

Read Time3 min

Abdulrahman El Bahnasawy, a 28-year-old Canadian citizen, has been sentenced to 50 years in prison for attacking two correctional officers at a maximum-security US penitentiary in Pennsylvania and providing material support to ISIS, federal prosecutors said.

The sentence, handed down in the Middle District of Pennsylvania, runs consecutive to the 40-year term Bahnasawy is already serving for his role in plotting a mass-casualty ISIS attack in New York City in 2016. That means his combined prison terms total 90 years.

According to court documents cited by The Center Square, the attack occurred on December 7, 2020, at US Penitentiary Allenwood. Bahnasawy used a weapon fashioned from part of a steel desk in his cell to stab one officer in the head and face, and stabbed a second officer in the hand when she came to assist. Both survived, though the first officer eventually lost his right eye. After he was restrained, officers found a note in his sock reading, "This is a terrorist attack for the Islamic State," along with a pledge of allegiance to ISIS taped inside a locker door in his cell.

Bahnasawy pleaded guilty last November to multiple counts of assault, assault with intent to commit murder, possession of contraband, and providing material support to ISIS, a designated foreign terrorist organization.

"We will prosecute those who aid, attempt to aid, or commit violence on behalf of the pernicious ISIS ideology wherever they may be found," US Attorney Brian Miller said. He added that the sentence reflects the federal government's "unwavering commitment to fight those who perpetrate violence in the name of ISIS even behind prison walls."

The 2016 plot for which Bahnasawy was already incarcerated involved two co-conspirators: Talha Haroon, a US citizen living in Pakistan, and Russell Salic, a citizen and resident of the Philippines. Authorities allege the three planned to bomb and shoot civilians in heavily populated areas of New York City. Bahnasawy acquired bomb-making materials and helped secure a cabin near the city; Haroon allegedly planned to travel from Pakistan to join him; and Salic allegedly wired money from the Philippines to fund the operation. An undercover FBI agent posing as an ISIS supporter thwarted the plan, and Bahnasawy was arrested in May 2016 after traveling to the New York area.

Haroon was arrested in Pakistan in 2016 and is fighting extradition; Salic was arrested in the Philippines in 2017, where his attorney has said the money he sent was for humanitarian causes. Neither has been convicted on the 2016 charges.

The Center Square notes that Bahnasawy's sentencing comes amid a continuing stream of federal terrorism prosecutions, including cases announced in Minnesota, Connecticut, and Pennsylvania involving men accused or convicted of ISIS-related offenses.

Analysis

Why This Matters

The sentence extends to 90 years in prison a man already serving time for a foiled mass-casualty plot, underscoring how federal authorities treat ISIS-related violence committed inside US prisons as terrorism rather than ordinary prison assault.
The case highlights the threat of radicalization and violence not only on the outside but within the federal prison system, and the use of material-support statutes against inmates.
It also keeps attention on unresolved cases: two alleged co-conspirators in the 2016 plot remain un-convicted and are fighting extradition.

Background

Bahnasawy was first arrested in 2016 after an FBI undercover operation disrupted an alleged ISIS plot to bomb and shoot civilians in New York City. He pleaded guilty to seven terrorism offenses in 2016 and was sentenced to 40 years in 2018. While serving that sentence at USP Allenwood, he attacked two officers in December 2020, leading to the additional charges and the new 50-year sentence. The case is among a steady stream of terrorism prosecutions announced by US Attorney's Offices across the country in recent months, including several involving young men accused of ISIS-inspired plots.

Key Perspectives

Federal prosecutors: The US Attorney's Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania says the sentence reflects an "unwavering commitment" to prosecuting violence committed in the name of ISIS, including acts behind prison walls.

Defense position in related proceedings: In the Philippines, Russell Salic's attorney has disputed that his client's money transfers supported terrorism, saying the funds were sent for humanitarian causes.

Observers of prosecution trends: The Center Square, reporting on the case, points to a pattern of recent federal prosecutions of young Muslim men on ISIS-related charges, a framing that has drawn attention to how terrorism laws are applied.

What to Watch

Whether Talha Haroon and Russell Salic are eventually extradited to the United States and how their cases are resolved.
Any further federal sentencing or charges linked to violence by inmates convicted of terrorism-related offenses.
The broader trajectory of ISIS-inspired prosecutions as US Attorney's Offices continue to announce new cases.

Sources

Muslim man sentenced for conspiring to commit ISIS-inspired attack · The Center Square Pennsylvania

Checked

12 claims in this story checked against 1 source: 9 supported.

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SupportedA Canadian man was sentenced to 50 years for an ISIS-inspired attack on US prison officers.The Center Square Pennsylvania: “Abdulrahman El Bahnasawy, 28, of Ontario, Canada, was sentenced to 50 years in prison for offenses related to a 2020 attack on correctional officers at U.S. Penitentiary Allenwood, a maximum-security prison in Pennsylvania.”
Partly supportedBahnasawy was a 28-year-old Canadian citizen.The Center Square Pennsylvania: “Abdulrahman El Bahnasawy, 28, of Ontario, Canada”
Partly supportedFederal prosecutors said Bahnasawy had been sentenced for the attack and providing material support to ISIS.The Center Square Pennsylvania
SupportedThe 50-year sentence runs consecutive to Bahnasawy’s 40-year sentence for his role in the 2016 New York plot.The Center Square Pennsylvania: “This sentence runs consecutive to the 40-year sentence he is currently serving for his role in plotting a mass-casualty terrorist attack in New York City on behalf of ISIS in 2016.”
SupportedThe consecutive prison terms total 90 years.The Center Square Pennsylvania: “was sentenced to 50 years in prison ... This sentence runs consecutive to the 40-year sentence he is currently serving”
SupportedThe prison attack occurred on December 7, 2020, at US Penitentiary Allenwood.The Center Square Pennsylvania: “Bahnasawy attacked two corrections officers while serving time at USP Allenwood on Dec. 7, 2020.”
SupportedAfter being restrained, Bahnasawy had a note in his sock reading, “This is a terrorist attack for the Islamic State.”The Center Square Pennsylvania: “After Bahnasawy was restrained, officers found a note in his sock stating, “This is a terrorist attack for the Islamic State.””
SupportedU.S. Attorney Brian Miller said, “We will prosecute those who aid, attempt to aid, or commit violence on behalf of the pernicious ISIS ideology wherever they may be found.”The Center Square Pennsylvania: ““We will prosecute those who aid, attempt to aid, or commit violence on behalf of the pernicious ISIS ideology wherever they may be found,” U.S. Attorney Brian Miller for the Middle District of Pennsylvania said.”
SupportedMiller added that the sentence reflected the federal government’s “unwavering commitment to fight those who perpetrate violence in the name of ISIS even behind prison walls.”The Center Square Pennsylvania: “Bahnasawy’s second sentence reflects the federal government’s “unwavering commitment to fight those who perpetrate violence in the name of ISIS even behind prison walls,” he added.”
SupportedBahnasawy pleaded guilty last November to multiple counts including assault, assault with intent to commit murder, possession of contraband and providing material support to ISIS.The Center Square Pennsylvania: “He pleaded guilty last November to multiple counts of assault, assault with intent to commit murder, and possession of contraband inside a prison. He also pleaded guilty to providing material support to ISIS, a designated Foreign Terror Organization.”
Not in the sourcesHaroon is fighting extradition from Pakistan to the United States.The Center Square Pennsylvania: “In 2019, the Islamabad High Court “reserved its judgement” in a case related to his extradition to the U.S., the Express Tribune reported .”
SupportedHaroon and Salic have not been convicted on the 2016 charges.The Center Square Pennsylvania: “Haroon and Salic have yet to be convicted of the 2016 terrorism charges.”