U.S. Army Non-public Cole Bridges tried to assist ISIS homicide U.S. troopers overseas — and supplied recommendation on attacking New York Metropolis.
“Cole Bridges tried to orchestrate a murderous ambush on his fellow troopers in service of ISIS and its violent ideology,” U.S. Lawyer Damian Williams mentioned in an announcement Wednesday. “Bridges’ traitorous conduct was a betrayal of his comrades and his nation.”
The 22-year-old former soldier from Ohio pleaded responsible Wednesday to plotting to help America’s enemies. Prosecutors praised the FBI and the U.S. Army for his or her assist in subverting Bridges’ “malign intent.” He will likely be sentenced on Nov. 22.
Bridges joined the Army in 2019, in response to prosecutors, who mentioned he was assigned as a cavalry scout within the Third Infantry Division based mostly in Fort Stewart, Georgia. It was round that point he started consuming jihadist propaganda on-line. Prosecutors mentioned Bridges participated in supporting ISIS on social media.
Roughly a yr later, he started speaking with an FBI agent posing as an ISIS ally with contacts within the Center East.
“Throughout these communications, Bridges expressed his frustration with the U.S. navy and his need to help ISIS,” prosecutors mentioned. “Bridges then offered coaching and steerage to purported ISIS fighters who had been planning assaults, together with recommendation about potential targets in New York Metropolis.”
The turncoat can also be accused of making an attempt to supply ISIS with sections of a U.S. Army coaching handbook and providing steerage concerning navy fight ways. That included volunteering directions on fortify buildings to repel U.S. offensives and utilizing explosives to ambush American troopers.
Bridges, who additionally used the final title Gonzales, appeared to grow to be emboldened as time handed.
“In January 2021, Bridges offered [his contact] with a video of himself in his U.S. Army physique armor standing in entrance of a flag typically utilized by ISIS fighters and making a gesture symbolic of help for ISIS,” prosecutors mentioned.
Bridges adopted that video with a second tape that includes him narrating a propaganda advert supporting violence in opposition to U.S. troops.
He faces a 20-year sentence for making an attempt to supply materials help to ISIS and one other 20 years for scheming to homicide American navy personnel.
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