Edmonton ISIS recruit faced identity theft charges in Canada

One of the Edmonton men believed killed overseas while fighting for ISIS was facing identity theft charges in Canada.

Hamsa Kariye, 30, was charged with intent to gain advantage for allegedly impersonating someone else to obtain a drivers license.

He also faced a charge of making or possessing  identification documents for allegedly trying to forge a driver’s license using the same persons identity .

Kariye, his brother Hersi Kariye and his cousin Mahad Hirsi left Edmonton together in October 2013.

A family member in Edmonton was told that that the three men were killed, along with a fourth man, a cousin from Minnesota. It’s not clear how the men died or if they died at the same time.

KBR Wabi, a construction and engineering firm, confirms that Hamsa Kariye worked for them as a pipefitter until May 2013 but they won’t reveal where he worked.

However, the company has an oilsands project in Fort McMurray.

On Thursday, Deputy Police Chief Brian Simpson acknowledged that the three local men had been identified as high-risk travelers before they left Edmonton.

While police knew the trio had gone overseas, Simpson said they weren’t aware that they had been killed.