In 2023, Pvt. Cole Bridges admitted guilt to trying to aid a foreign terrorist group and plotting to kill American troops.
Former U.S. Army Soldier Sentenced to 14 Years for ISIS Support
A former U.S. Army soldier, Pvt. Cole Bridges, has been sentenced to 14 years in prison for attempting to provide support to ISIS. The 24-year-old soldier from Stow, Ohio, pleaded guilty to planning an ambush that he believed would result in the deaths of U.S. soldiers in the Middle East. He also discussed potential terrorist attacks in New York City with an undercover FBI agent posing as an ISIS supporter.
Bridges enlisted in the military in 2019 and joined an infantry division at Fort Stewart, Georgia. Prior to enlisting, he had already been influenced by radical ideologies. According to the U.S. Justice Department, Bridges used his Army training to plan a violent attack on his fellow service members.
In 2019, Bridges started researching jihadist propaganda and expressing support for ISIS on social media. Approximately a year after joining the Army, he began corresponding with an FBI agent who pretended to be an ISIS supporter connected to the group in the Middle East. A criminal complaint filed in the Southern District of New York outlined Bridges’ strong desire to assist ISIS in establishing a global caliphate.
The U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Damian Williams, condemned Bridges’ actions, stating that he had pursued a “horrifying goal” of plotting an ambush to kill his fellow service members. The case serves as a stark reminder of the dangers posed by individuals radicalized by extremist ideologies.
Source: The NY Times
