Catherine Beth Washburn, 37, a resident of the Irondequoit suburb of New York, was arrested on charges of attempting to provide material support to the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) terror organization.
According to a statement from the U.S. Department of Justice, Washburn was the leader of the Direct Action Movement for the Liberation of Palestine (DAMPL), a group established after Hamas's October 7, 2023, attack on Israel that rejects peaceful protests and advocates for property destruction and sabotage under the name of 'direct action.'
Communication records seized by the FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force indicated that Washburn wrote to a person claiming to be a PIJ fighter in Gaza that she 'hates Jews very much,' wishes for the 'destruction' of Israel, and wrote 'I wish every day was October 7.' In another message, she allegedly stated, 'I get excited every time I see news of an occupation soldier being killed.'
Photos of the suspect posing with grenades in front of a Hamas flag were included in the investigation file. In a message Washburn allegedly sent in November 2025, she posted a laughing emoji, saying regarding her illegal activities, 'Based on my past fundraising and shares, I'll be locked up for several lifetimes.'
Financial records revealed that Washburn transferred over $30,000 in total to an account used by a PIJ fighter through approximately 80 cryptocurrency transactions.
U.S. Attorney for the Western District of New York Michael DiGiacomo stated that Washburn went to great lengths to finance violence with 'her self-described hatred for Israel and Jews.' FBI Acting Assistant Director for the Counterterrorism Division Coult Markovsky said the suspect provided money to a foreign terrorist organization engaged in acts of violence, as detailed in the indictment, and that they are committed to cutting off funding flows to terror groups.
Washburn faces up to 20 years in federal prison and a $250,000 fine.
