FBI: 1st US law enforcement officer charged in terror sting

(AP) — Prosecutors on Wednesday brought the first-ever terrorism charges against a law enforcement officer in the U.S., alleging that a patrol officer with the D.C. region's Metro Transit Police was caught buying $250 worth of gift cards for the Islamic State group.

According to an FBI affidavit, Young bought nearly $250 in gift cards last month that he intended for the Islamic State to use to purchase mobile apps that would facilitate communication.

In 2010, law enforcement interviewed Young because of his links to Zachary Chesser, who eventually pleaded guilty to trying to join the militant group al-Shabab and to issuing threats to the makers of the "South Park" cartoon series after they penned an episode he found insulting to Islam.

While Young's arrest is a first for a U.S. law enforcement officer, he is one of more than a half-dozen individuals from northern Virginia alone who have been charged with terror-related crimes, mostly in government sting operations.