Former US soldier convicted of planning ISIS attacks on NYC and US military personnel

Cole Bridges, a former U.S. Army soldier, was sentenced to 14 years in prison on Friday for his attempt to provide support for the Islamic State, also known as ISIS, Gothamist reported.

Prosecutors allege that Bridges not only suggested potential targets in New York City, but he used his military training to coordinate an ISIS attack on American soldiers stationed in the Middle East, the report said.

However, the person Bridges spoke to was an undercover FBI agent and not an ISIS supporter, as Bridges initially thought.

Bridges, 24, pleaded guilty last year to attempting to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization and attempting to assassinate U.S. service members, the report said.

“Today’s verdict makes clear that this office – along with our law enforcement partners and the U.S. military – will work tirelessly to bring to justice those who, like Bridges, seek to harm members of our armed forces.” , said Damien Williams, the US attorney. the Southern District of New York said in a statement.

According to the outlet, Bridges ended up on the FBI’s radar after the agency discovered social media posts and online searches that appeared to support ISIS. An undercover agent began communicating with Bridges in 2020, posing as a female ISIS supporter.

Bridges also received an additional 10 years of supervised release, the report said.