Bars from a prison jail cast a shadow on the floro.

WASHINGTON — A U.S. Army soldier was sentenced to 14 years in prison on Friday for attempting to provide material support to ISIS and conspiring to murder U.S. service members, the Department of Justice announced. Cole Bridges, also known as Cole Gonzales, 24, from Stow, Ohio, pleaded guilty in June 2023 to charges of attempting to aid the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS).

Bridges, a former cavalry scout assigned to the Third Infantry Division at Fort Stewart, Georgia, began communicating with an undercover FBI agent in 2020, believing the agent was connected to ISIS fighters in the Middle East. According to court documents, Bridges expressed a desire to help ISIS carry out attacks against U.S. soldiers and provided tactical advice, including military maneuvers and plans to fortify an ISIS encampment for ambushing U.S. Special Forces.

Bridges also provided sections of a U.S. Army training manual and sent videos of himself in military gear, pledging support to ISIS. In one video, Bridges posed in his Army body armor in front of an ISIS flag, and in another, he narrated a propaganda speech promoting an ISIS ambush.

Bridges’ sentence includes 168 months in prison followed by 10 years of supervised release.

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