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

Oct 14

Craig Nigrelli Anchor

By Craig Nigrelli (Anchor), William Jackson (Producer), Kaleb Gillespie (Video Editor)

A former U.S. Army soldier was sentenced to 14 years in prison after pleading guilty to attempting to provide ISIS with tactical information to help plan attacks on U.S. soldiers. According to the U.S. Justice Department. Pfc. Cole Bridges, 24, of Stow, Ohio, enlisted in the Army in 2019 and was stationed at Fort Stewart, Georgia, with the Third Infantry Division.

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Shortly after joining, Bridges began engaging with jihadist propaganda online and expressing support for ISIS on social media.

In October 2020, Bridges began communicating with an undercover FBI agent posing as an ISIS supporter. He shared U.S. Army training manuals and provided advice on ambushing U.S. soldiers, including tactics to increase the deadliness of attacks. Bridges also outlined how to fortify ISIS camps with explosives to kill U.S. troops as they entered buildings.

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Bridges also discussed potential terrorist targets in New York City, including the 9/11 Memorial & Museum. He sent videos pledging support for ISIS and further encouraged attacks on U.S. troops.

He was arrested in January 2021 and pleaded guilty in June 2023 to attempting to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization and attempting to murder U.S. military personnel. Along with his 14-year prison sentence, Bridges was given 10 years of supervised release.

The FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force, along with multiple federal, state, and local agencies, led the investigation. U.S. Attorney Damian Williams called Bridges’ actions “a betrayal of the worst order” for attempting to harm the soldiers he was meant to protect.

Tags: Domestic terrorism, FBI, Isis, Terrorism, Terrorist Attack, U.S. Army, U.S. Department of Justice

[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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