Soldier who plotted to help ISIS kill US troops gets 14-year sentence

[Craig Nigrelli]

A FORMER U.S. ARMY SOLDIER WAS SENTENCED TO 14 YEARS IN PRISON ON FRIDAY AFTER ADMITTING HE TRIED TO PROVIDE ISIS WITH INFORMATION TO HELP PLAN AN AMBUSH INTENDED TO KILL U.S. SOLDIERS IN THE MIDDLE EAST, ACCORDING TO THE U.S. JUSTICE DEPARTMENT.

24 YEAR OLD PRIVATE FIRST CLASS COLE BRIDGES FROM STOW, OHIO, ENLISTED IN 2019 AND WAS STATIONED WITH AN INFANTRY DIVISION AT FORT STEWART, GEORGIA. SHORTLY AFTER ENLISTING, THE DOJ SAYS HE BEGAN CONSUMING JIHADIST PROPAGANDA AND EXPRESSING SUPPORT FOR ISIS ONLINE. BY OCTOBER 2020, HE HAD STARTED COMMUNICATING WITH AN UNDERCOVER FBI AGENT POSING AS AN ISIS SUPPORTER.

ACCORDING TO COURT DOCUMENTS – BRIDGES SHARED U.S. ARMY TRAINING MANUALS AND OFFERED DETAILED ADVICE ON HOW TO CONDUCT AMBUSHES ON U.S. SOLDIERS. HE PROVIDED TACTICAL GUIDANCE ON MAXIMIZING THE LETHALITY OF ATTACKS AND EVEN OUTLINED HOW TO FORTIFY ISIS ENCAMPMENTS WITH EXPLOSIVES TO KILL U.S. TROOPS AS THEY ENTERED CERTAIN BUILDINGS.

IN ADDITION TO AIDING POTENTIAL ATTACKS IN THE MIDDLE EAST, THE DOCUMENTS SAY BRIDGES DISCUSSED POSSIBLE DOMESTIC TERRORIST TARGETS WITH THE UNDERCOVER AGENT. HE CONSIDERED ATTACKS ON GOVERNMENT BUILDINGS IN NEW YORK CITY, INCLUDING THE 9/11 MEMORIAL & MUSEUM, ADVISING THE AGENT TO “CHOOSE YOUR TARGETS WISELY.”

BRIDGES WAS ARRESTED IN JANUARY 2021. HE PLEADED GUILTY IN JUNE 2023 TO CHARGES OF ATTEMPTING TO PROVIDE MATERIAL SUPPORT TO A FOREIGN TERRORIST ORGANIZATION AND ATTEMPTING TO MURDER U.S. MILITARY PERSONNEL — EACH CHARGE CARRYING A MAXIMUM SENTENCE OF 20 YEARS IN PRISON.   

BRIDGES WAS ALSO SENTENCED TO 10 YEARS OF SUPERVISED RELEASE.

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