(Image source from: Orissa POST)

A 28-year-old Indian American, an occupant of Virginia who was raised Hindu before converting to Islam has been condemned to five years of imprisonment for passport fraud and for mendacious statements in his application to join United States military.

Shivam Patel, an admirer of Islamic state terror group told Federal Bureau of Investigation undercover employee that he wanted to commit jihad, the U.S. Justice Department said.

The Williamsburg, Virginia man was sentenced on Tuesday to five years in prison for passport fraud and making false statements in his application to join the US military, it said in a press release.

According to Virginian media source, Patel was ordered to pay $4,000 penalty in link with two counts of felony for making mendacious statements during his military application procedure.

According to tribunal documents and documents, Patel was raised Hindu before converting to Islam several years ago. He earned a degree in criminal justice from Virginia State University and travelled to China to teach English in July 2016. While there, he grew displeased with how that country treated Muslims.

In August 2016, rather flying back to Virginia from China he traveled to Jordan, where was in remission for unspecified ground. According to court documents, Patel told taxi drivers in Jordan that he supported the Islamic state.

After probing Patel's computer it was found that he inquired on joining the Islamic state before departing China. After reverting to U.S., he applied to join Army and Air Force and when asked to mention his prior foreign travel in the application, Patel failed to reveal his trips to China and Jordan.

When an Army recruiter asked to show his passport that would have disclosed his prior travel history to the recruiter, he then filed an application for a new passport, incorrectly claiming that he had unintentionally hurled his old passport.

The FBI special agents recovered his prior travel record by his original passport when they arrested him in July 2017.

The U.S. District Judge Mark S. Davis accepted the plea as Patel pleaded guilty to the charges on February 8.

Judge Davis said Patel's case was more serious than the typical false statement cases filed in federal court. He said Patel's attempt to join the military was "clearly some reason for concern".

"It's all very troubling," The Virginian media source quoted him as saying.

Patel faced a penalty of maximum 15 years of imprisonment.

By Sowmya Sangam