Accused US-Irish national allegedly told family member of his 'master plan to kill Jews'

Jack Danaher Molloy, 24, also faces charges for providing false statements about his efforts to the FBI, which can attract a maximum sentence of eight years. Picture: US department of justice

A dual US-Irish national, who faces terrorism charges in Pennsylvania, allegedly told a family member that his “master plan was to join Hezbollah and kill Jews”.

Jack Danaher Molloy, aged 24, has been indicted of attempting to support the terrorist organisation and travelling to Lebanon and then Syria to join it.

When those efforts in August and October 2024 failed, he flew back to the US and continued trying.

It is not yet clear the extent of Mr Molloy’s connections to Ireland — including to what extent he lived or travelled here, and whether or not he had associates in Ireland. This is all expected to be examined by the Garda Security Service.

If Mr Molloy is convicted, he faces a maximum jail sentence of 20 years.

He also faces charges for providing false statements about his efforts to the FBI, which can attract a maximum sentence of eight years.

A statement issued by the US department of justice said Mr Molloy previously served in the US army and formerly lived in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

'Material support'

The indictment said that from August 2024 to December 2024, in Lebanon, Syria, and Pennsylvania, Mr Molloy tried to provide “material support and resources” — namely himself — to Hezbollah.

It said that Mr Molloy did this “knowing that the organisation was a designated terrorist organisation”.

The statement said: “As alleged, Molloy — a dual citizen of the United States and Ireland, who previously served in the US army — travelled to Lebanon in August 2024 and attempted to join Hezbollah.”

It said Mr Molloy was told by multiple individuals that the time was not right, and he travelled on to Syria in October 2024 in an effort to fight for Hezbollah there.

He returned to the US and to Pennsylvania, where he continued his efforts — including through communication with individuals online and in Lebanon.

“During his time in the United States and abroad, Molloy also allegedly expressed his hatred toward, and promoted violence against, Jewish people,” the statement said.

“Molloy’s alleged animus toward Jews was also evidenced by multiple images and videos on his electronic devices and the usernames he chose for his social media and email accounts, including the username 'KIKEKILLER313' on the social media platform X.

“In one alleged WhatsApp exchange with a family member, Molloy agreed that his ‘master plan was to join Hezbollah and kill Jews’.”