Madison man accused of trying to join ISIS

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A Madison man charged with attempting to joining the Islamic State has been ordered to be held without bond.

Joshua Van Haften, 34, of Madison, was in U.S. District Court in Madison on Thursday before U.S. Magistrate Judge Stephen Crocker. If convicted, he faces a maximum of 15 years in federal prison.

He was arrested Wednesday at O’Hare International Airport after arriving from Turkey.

According to the complaint filed in the U.S. District Court’s Western District, Van Haften left the U.S. on Aug. 26, 2014, and traveled to Istanbul, Turkey, which is known to be an entry point into Syria for those wishing to join ISIS.

The complaint cites Facebook posts from Van Haften that said he was unable to cross the border from Turkey into Syria. In one post, Van Haften complained that the people who were supposed to help him just wanted his money, that he had almost no cash left and that he was dropped off on a road in the country and never picked up.

Wisconsin online court records show several previous convictions for Van Haften, including felony battery in 1998, second degree felony sexual assault in 1999 and misdemeanor disorderly conduct in 2007. All the offenses occurred in Rock County.

The Associated Press also contributed to this report.