US Woman Indicted for Using Crypto to Fund Terrorist Groups

A New York City woman has been charged with using cryptocurrencies to provide financial support to Syrian terrorist groups.

Eleven indictments charged Victoria Jacobs, 43, formerly known as Bakhrom Talipov, with aiding terrorism, money laundering and other crimes.

Jacobs provided material support to Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, a U.S. State Department-designated foreign terrorist organization, and over $5,000 to the terrorist training group Malhama Tactical. Tahrir al-Sham, according to the indictment.

Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg said in a statement: “This is the first time terrorist financing has been prosecuted in a New York state court and is one of the few cases in the world where cryptocurrencies have allegedly funded terrorism. One,” he said.

Jacobs laundered $10,661 on behalf of Maruhama Tactical by accepting cryptocurrency and Western Union and MoneyGram wire transfers from supporters around the world and transferring the funds to a Bitcoin wallet managed by Maruhama Tactical. It is said that According to her indictment, she not only sent cryptocurrencies, but also bought her Google Play gift cards for the organization.

In October 2018, defendant saved a note on his cell phone, and the indictment cited: We and our support can do this securely and anonymously using a Bitcoin wallet. Send us a DM for more information. Please retweet. ”

In December 2019, Jacobs provided a comprehensive U.S. Army improvised ammunition handbook to online groups. She believed the online group was linked to both Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham and the al-Qaeda-affiliated jihadist group Hurras al-Din. She-she is striving in Syria, her indictment said.

Prosecutors said Jacobs purchased military-grade combat knives, metal knuckles and shurikens found in his Upper East Side apartment in August 2021.

“Disturbingly, about a month later, on September 21-22, 2021, the defendant claimed in a Telegram chat that he was a ‘brother’ ‘behind enemy lines’ and claimed to be ‘courageous’. , strength, and guidance.” , and the wisdom to carry out a particular task,” Assistant District Attorney Edward Burns said in court.

“In addition to these statements, the defendant ominously posted a 15-second video clip of an unidentified person walking around with a firearm,” he continued. “The timing of this posting and the defendant’s acquisition of the weapon support her conclusion that she intended to use her weapon in an illegal manner.”

Jacobs is being held without bail.

In a parallel investigation, federal prosecutors in Brooklyn said in December that they used cryptocurrencies, Bitcoin wallets, GoFundMe and PayPal to crowdfund ISIS in what they called “blood money.” Indicted four defendants for collecting.