Canadian National Receives 50-Year Sentence for ISIS-Inspired Prison Assault

A Canadian national already serving a lengthy prison term for plotting a terrorist attack in New York City has received an additional 50-year sentence for a violent assault on correctional officers at a federal penitentiary in Pennsylvania. The new sentence, handed down by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania, will be served consecutively to his existing 40-year sentence. This development underscores the ongoing efforts to prosecute individuals who commit violence in support of extremist ideologies, even while incarcerated.

The individual, identified as Abdulrahman El Bahnasawy, a 28-year-old from Ontario, Canada, committed the attack on December 7, 2020, while an inmate at U.S. Penitentiary Allenwood. He used a makeshift weapon fashioned from a steel desk component to assault two correctional officers. One officer sustained stab wounds to the head and face, resulting in the loss of his right eye, while the second officer was stabbed in the hand when attempting to provide assistance. Following the assault, authorities discovered a note in El Bahnasawy’s sock stating, “This is a terrorist attack for the Islamic State,” and a pledge of allegiance to ISIS taped inside a locker in his cell.

El Bahnasawy had previously been sentenced to 40 years for his involvement in a plot to carry out mass-casualty bombings and shootings in New York City during the Islamic holy month of Ramadan in 2016. This earlier conspiracy, undertaken on behalf of ISIS, involved coordination with other individuals, including Talha Haroon and Russell Salic. The FBI’s successful infiltration of this plot through an undercover agent led to El Bahnasawy’s arrest in May 2016, shortly after he had traveled from Canada to the New York City area in preparation for the planned attacks. He has remained in custody since his apprehension.

In relation to the prison assault, El Bahnasawy pleaded guilty in November 2025 to multiple charges. These included counts of assault, assault with intent to commit murder, and possession of contraband within a prison. He also pleaded guilty to providing material support to ISIS, which is recognized as a designated foreign terrorist organization. The prosecution of this case was a collaborative effort involving Assistant U.S. Attorney Geoffrey MacArthur for the Middle District of Pennsylvania and Deputy Chief Larry Schneider of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section. The investigation was conducted by the FBI’s Philadelphia’s Capital Area Resident Agency.

Article by Mel Anara, based upon information from U.S. Attorney’s Office, Middle District of Pennsylvania

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