On Monday, an 18-year-old Colorado teenager, Davin Meyer, entered a not guilty plea to charges of attempting to support the designated foreign terrorist organization, the Islamic State group (IS).

Handcuffed at his arraignment in a federal courtroom in Denver, Meyer remained silent about the allegations.

Earlier, he was arrested while attempting to board a plane to Turkey, with prosecutors alleging his intention to join IS as a fighter.

David Kaplan, Meyer’s attorney, declined to comment on the case, and the trial date is yet to be scheduled, the Associated Press reported.

According to the arrest affidavit, in November, shortly after turning 18, Meyer began communicating online with individuals he believed were IS facilitators, but they were, in fact, undercover informants.

In a previous court hearing, Meyer’s mother, Deanna Meyer, testified that her son’s decision to try traveling to the Middle East was influenced by people he met who shared his views, including the FBI informants.

She emphasized that her son, who has autism, may not have fully grasped the gravity of the situation due to his condition.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Melissa Hindman argued that Meyer had already committed to radical Islam before the informants engaged with him.

During the recent hearing, prosecutors didn’t discuss the allegations, and the U.S. Attorney’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment after the hearing.

Written by staff