A U.S. solider has been charged after allegedly talking about wanting to help ISIS strike the 9/11 Memorial in New York City and target U.S. soldiers in the Middle East, according to senior law enforcement officials.
The officials say Cole James Bridges, 20, from Stowe, Ohio, allegedly went into an online forum and chatted with a person he thought was with ISIS, but was in fact an FBI undercover agent.
Bridges is currently assigned to Fort Stewart in Georgia with the 3rd infantry division of the Army. He’s now charged with attempted material support of a terrorism organization and attempting to kill U.S. soldiers.
The officials say he became radicalized watching videos online and was upset with the U.S. Army. They say Bridges made a video of himself in front of an ISIS flag and had planned to send Army training materials and tactics to ISIS.
Acting U.S. Attorney Audrey Strauss said in a statement, “Cole Bridges betrayed the oath he swore to defend the United States by attempting to provide ISIS with tactical military advice to ambush and kill his fellow service members. Our troops risk their lives for our country, but they should never face such peril at the hands of one of their own.“
Attempts to reach a possible attorney for Bridges were unsuccessful Tuesday afternoon. He is expected to appear in federal court in Georgia this week.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
Source: | This article originally belongs to Nbcnews.com
