Washington: A second woman was charged in the case of the terror suspect dubbed "JihadJane" after she flew back to the United States and surrendered to authorities, the US Justice Department said on Friday.
Jamie Paulin Ramirez, 31, a US national and a former Colorado resident, was charged with conspiracy to provide material support to terrorists, the department said in a statement.
The Department of Justice said Ramirez had travelled with Colleen LaRose, who dubbed herself "JihadJane" online, "to and around Europe to participate in and in support of violent jihad”.
Ramirez had surrendered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, after flying back from Europe and was charged with "one count of conspiracy to provide material support to terrorists”, according to the statement.
The charge carries a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison and a fine of USD 250,000.
Ramirez had reportedly been arrested in Ireland last month accused of conspiring to kill a Swedish cartoonist who made fun of the Prophet Mohammed, but was later freed without charge.
LaRose, a blond 46-year-old American, pleaded not guilty last month in Philadelphia court to recruiting Islamist militants and faces a maximum sentence of life in prison and a USD 1 million fine.
Prosecutors charge that LaRose, in an early August 2009 e-mail, urged Ramirez to join her and others in Europe at a location she described as "like a training camp as well as a home”.
In another message quoted in the indictment, LaRose wrote Ramirez: "When our brother[s] defend ouf faith [and] their homes, they are terrorist... fine, then i am a terrorist
& proud to be this."
"Thats right ... if thats how they call it then so be it i am what i am," Ramirez allegedly responded.
On September 12, 2009 Ramirez travelled to Europe with her young son "with the intent to live and train with jihadists" and one day later married an unindicted co-conspirator in the case, whom she had only previously met in online exchanges, according to the indictment.
PTI
