A woman living in New York City is being accused of using crypto to fund a terrorist organization in Syria. 43-year-old Victoria Jacobs – who also operates under the alias Bakhrom Talipov – is now being charged with terrorism herself, along with money laundering and various other crimes.
Victoria Jacobs Is in Big Trouble
Jacobs is believed to have given the money to a group called Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham, a foreign terrorist organization currently designated as such by the U.S. State Department. She is also believed to have funded an enterprise known as Malhama Tactical, which provided both tactical and military training to the terrorist group in question.
Manhattan district attorney Alvin Bragg explained in a recent interview:
This case marks the first time that terrorism financing is being prosecuted in a New York State Court. [It] is one of the rare cases worldwide where cryptocurrency is alleged to have financed terrorism.
Aside from providing money to the terrorists, it is reported that Jacobs may have laundered money for them as well. Right now, it’s believed she laundered close to $11,000 on behalf of Malhama Tactical. Jacobs is said to have received various crypto funds and Western Union and MoneyGram wires from people all over the world who sought to send money to the terrorists. She is also alleged to have sent Google Play cards to them as well.
Some of the most damning evidence against Jacobs at the time of writing includes notes from October 2018. The notes are believed to have been to and from the criminals. One of them reads:
Assalamu aleykum my dear brothers and sisters, we currently are buildings new place (train camp), it’s getting cold, and we need new place, who want help us and support can do this safely and anonymously by bitcoin wallet. Send me DM for details. Retweet.
Jacobs purportedly purchased several military combat knives, metal knuckles, and even throwing stars in or around August of 2021. All these items – as well as additional weapons – were found in her New York apartment. It’s unclear if these items were for herself or if she was planning to send them to the terrorists she was supporting.
What Were the Weapons for?
Assistant district attorney Edward Burns said:
Disturbingly, approximately one month later, on September 21-22, 2021, the defendant, in a Telegram chat, claimed to be a ‘brother’ who was ‘behind enemy lines’ and asked for prayers for the ‘courage, strength, guidance, and wisdom to carry out certain missions.’ Along with these statements, [the] defendant posted a 15-second video clip of an unknown person ominously moving around with a firearm. The timing of this post and the defendant’s acquisition of the weapons supports the conclusion that she intended to use the weapons in an unlawful manner.
Jacobs is presently being held without bail.
