IRONDEQUOIT, N.Y. — An Irondequoit woman is facing federal charges after prosecutors say she funded a designated Foreign Terrorist Organization the Palestine Islamic Jihad (PIJ), also known as Al-Quds Brigades.
Catherine Washburn, 37, is charged by criminal complaint with attempting to provide material support and resources, namely, currency.
Washburn is accused by criminal complaint of making about 80 cryptocurrency transfers, totaling about $30,116, to a person in Gaza who identified as a PIJ fighter.
The criminal complaint says Washburn is the leader of the Direct Action Movement for Palestinian Liberation (DAMPL), an organization formed in the aftermath of the terrorist attack on Israel by Hamas on Oct. 7, 2023.
According to prosecutors, DAMPL “rejects the idea of peaceful protests and engages in direct action,” which may include sabotage and property destruction, in support of Palestine.
In February and March, the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF) executed search warrants and recovered electronic messages between Washburn and the person who identified as a PIJ fighter. Prosecutors say Washburn claimed to have participated in attacks with PIJ against Israel.
Prosecutors also say Washburn stated in a text message “[i]f I lived in Gaza, I would fight alongside the resistance.” They also say Washburn stated that she hated Jews “very much,” and wished Israel “would disappear.”
In other messages between Washburn and the person, prosecutors say they discussed purported PIJ attacks on Israel, weapons, and ammunition.
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