Georgia woman charged with helping ISIS come up with online 'kill list' of Americans
A 20-year-old Georgia woman has been charged with helping ISIS by posting a "kill list" online that included the names of State Department employees and American soldiers, according to federal prosecutors in the Southern District of New York.
According to the indictment unsealed last week, Kim Anh Vo joined the United Cyber Caliphate in 2016 -- a group that authorities said pledged allegiance to ISIS and was committed to carrying out online attacks and cyber intrusions against Americans.
Vo is accused of working with the UCC to recruit a minor in Norway and others to "create online content in support of ISIS," a DOJ release said.
She was known as "F@ng," "Zozo" or "Miss.Bones" online, according to the government.
According to court documents, she "worked as part of the Kalachnikv E-Security team, which pledged allegiance to ISIS."
That group "worked under the UCC banner with other hacking groups that had pledged allegiance to ISIS," officials said.
In April 2016, the UCC posted a kill list of just over 3,600 people in the New York City area that said "List of the most important citizens of #NewYork and #Brooklyn and some other cities ... We Want Them #Dead," according to the Justice Department.
That list included personal information and was posted on Twitter, according to the Justice Department.
Another kill list came a year later in April 2017 and this time included a video with more threats and had more than 8,000 individuals on the list.
“We have a message to the people of the U.S., and most importantly, your president Trump: Know that we continue to wage war against you, know that your counter attacks only makes stronger(sic). The UCC will start a new step in this war against you. . . .” one video said, according to court documents.
“We will release a list with over 8000 names, addresses, and email addresses, of those who fight against the US. Or live amongst the kuffar. Kill them wherever you find them," another alleged threat continued, accompanied by what prosecutors say is a decapitation of a kneeling man.
The group also targeted a nonprofit whose CEO is a former U.S. ambassador, court documents said. Videos posted on the company's internal site read "This message is directed at you ... you have been spying on us."
It's not known who the company is that's mentioned or who the former ambassador is who was targeted.
"You messed with the Islamic State, SO EXPECT US SOON," the video message reads with the CEO's image in front of a video depicting a decapitation.
Homeland Security Kirstjen Nielsen mentioned the Vo case in a speech Monday, saying ISIS is encouraging followers to "stay in your homeland and kill -- using any means possible."
