Federal prosecutors say an Irondequoit woman has been charged with attempting to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization.
The U.S. Attorney for Western New York says 37-year-old Catherine Beth Washburn was arrested for sending money to the Palestine Islamic Jihad, also known as the Al-Quds (koods) Brigade.
The group was formed after the 2023 terrorist attack on Israel by Hamas and the Justice Department says it rejects peaceful protest and advocates "direct action" including sabotage and property destruction against those associated with Israel.
The FBI's Joint Terrorism Task Force discovered electronic communications between Washburn and an individual identified as a PIJ Fighter in Gaza. A search of financial records found she had made more than 80 transfers of cryptocurrency, worth more than 30-thousand-dollars, to this person. Prosecutors released a photo of her with two hand grenates and a Hamas flag.
Washburn has appeared in court and was ordered to be detained. If convicted, she could face a 20-year-prison