Two women who helped raise several thousand dollars for the Somali militant group al-Shabaab have been convicted of providing support to a terrorist organisation.
Federal judge Anthony Trenga found the women — Hinda Osman Dhirane, of Kent, Washington, and Muna Osman Jama of Reston — guilty on most of the charges they faced at a hearing Tuesday in Alexandria.
The women waived their right to a jury trial.
Prosecutors say the women used an online chat room to round up small contributions on behalf of Al-Shabab.
The women did not deny they were al-Shabaab supporters. But they argued that the money they raised didn’t go directly to al-Shabaab.
The women could face sentences of 15 years or more when they are sentenced in January.
