A 43-year-old Upper East Side woman has been charged with money laundering and using cryptocurrency and Google Play gift cards to funnel money to terrorist groups operating in Syria that were affiliated with al-Queda.
Victoria Jacobs, 43, known as Bakhrom Talipov, faces charges including soliciting or supporting an act of terrorism, money laundering in support of terrorism in the third degree, and other charges.
In an exchange, prosecutors said Jacobs posed as a "brother" who was "behind enemy lines" and asked for prayers for "courage, strength, guidance and wisdom to carry out certain missions." according to a statement from Manhattan District Attorney Alvin. Bragg and New York Police Commissioner Keechant Sewell.
โThis case marks the first time terrorist financing has been prosecuted in New York State Court and is one of the rare cases worldwide where cryptocurrency is alleged to have financed terrorism,โ Bragg said in a statement. release.
"International terrorism continues to be a serious threat to security and liberty around the world," said New York Police Commissioner Sewell.
According to the indictment and other documents filed with the court, from September 2018 to June 2019, Jacobs provided material support to Hay'at Tahir al-Sham, which is designated a foreign terrorist group by the State Department. She is also accused of providing $5,000 to what the district attorney's office said was the terrorist training group Malhama Tactical, which allegedly provided special military and tactical training to Hay'at Tahir al-Sham.
She is also accused of laundering $10,661 on behalf of Mahalma Tactical by receiving cryptocurrency and Western Union and MoneyGram transfers from supporters and sending the money to Bitcoin wallets controlled by Mahalma Tactical.
In addition, prosecutors say she handed over a US Army improvised munitions manual to an online group she said was affiliated with an al-Queda-linked group.
He was also said to have purchased combat knives, brass knuckles and throwing stars posing on online forums and delivered them to Mahalma Tactical.
The district attorney's office has indicted several defendants on state terrorism charges, but so far only Jamaica's so-called "radical cleric" Shaikh Abdullah has proceeded to trial resulting in his conviction on January 26 for five charges.
