April 5, 10

NEWS / Women from Colorado and Pennsylvania Charged with Terrorism Violations in Superseding Indictment

A superseding indictment unsealed this afternoon in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania charges Jamie Paulin Ramirez, a U.S. citizen and former resident of Colorado, and Colleen R. LaRose, aka "Fatima LaRose," aka "JihadJane," a resident of Pennsylvania, with conspiracy to provide material support to terrorists. The superseding indictment adds Ramirez as a defendant to what was previously an indictment charging only LaRose.

The new charges were announced by David Kris, Assistant Attorney General for National Security; Michael L. Levy, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania; and Janice K. Fedarcyk, Special Agent-in-Charge of the FBI in Philadelphia.

The superseding indictment charges that LaRose and Ramirez traveled to and around Europe to participate in and in support of violent jihad. According to the superseding indictment, Ramirez exchanged e-mail messages with LaRose during the summer of 2009, in which LaRose invited Ramirez to join her in Europe to attend a "training camp." Ramirez is charged with accepting the invitation and asking to bring along her minor male child. On Sept, 12, 2009, Ramirez traveled to Europe with her child with the intent to live and train with jihadists. The day she arrived in Europe, the indictment alleges, Ramirez married an unindicted co-conspirator whom she had never before met in person.

The superseding indictment charges Ramirez, age 31, with one count of conspiracy to provide material support to terrorists, which carries a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The charges against LaRose remain unchanged, and carry a maximum potential sentence of life in prison and a $1 million fine.

Ramirez was arrested this afternoon in Philadelphia after voluntarily flying to the United States from abroad.

This case was investigated by the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force in Philadelphia, the FBI Field Division in New York and the FBI Field Division in Denver. It is being prosecuted by Jennifer Arbittier Williams, Assistant U.S. Attorney from the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, and Matthew F. Blue, Trial Attorney from the Counterterrorism Section in the Justice Department’s National Security Division.

The public is reminded that an indictment is an accusation and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

http://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/2010/April/10-nsd-365.html