October 2024: Syria
Undeterred by setbacks in Lebanon, Molloy then traveled to Syria in October 2024. Prosecutors claim he hoped to fight alongside Hizballah forces active in the region. The indictment goes on to say that, once back in the U.S., Molloy settled in Upper St. Clair, Pennsylvania, and continued cultivating contacts to further his goal of joining Hizballah.
December 2024: Arrest in Chicago
On December 6, 2024, Molloy was arrested in Chicago, Illinois, based on a criminal complaint that had been filed earlier that same day. On December 30, the U.S. Marshals Service transported him back to Pittsburgh to face these very serious charges.
Alleged Anti-Semitic Motives
Perhaps the most chilling element of this case, at least for me personally, is the revelation of Molloy’s purported hateful rhetoric toward Jewish people. Court filings assert that he posted images and videos consistent with Neo-Nazi or anti-Semitic ideologies, using online usernames like “KIKEKILLER313” on the social media platform X.
Investigators further uncovered a WhatsApp exchange with a family member in which Molloy allegedly agreed that his “master plan was to join Hezbollah and kill Jews.” These details are especially alarming, given Pittsburgh’s tragic recent history: Robert Bowers murdered 11 worshippers at the Tree of Life Synagogue in 2018. Disturbingly, Molloy allegedly visited a website detailing where Bowers might be incarcerated.
Such details underscore the prosecutorial narrative that Molloy’s interest in Hizballah was not just ideological but intertwined with virulent anti-Semitism. As an observer, it leaves little doubt as to why federal authorities moved so decisively to stop him.
