WASHINGTON – A militant fighter for the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS), a foreign terrorist organization, pleaded guilty today to all charges that were pending against him in the United States relating to his participation in a brutal hostage-taking scheme that resulted in the deaths of four American citizens, as well as the deaths of British and Japanese nationals, in Syria.
According to court records, from in or around November 2012 through on or about Feb. 7, 2015, former British citizen Alexanda Amon Kotey, 37, served as an ISIS fighter and participated in the captivity of American and European hostages in Syria. Kotey specifically participated in the seizure, detention and hostage negotiations for four American citizens – James Wright Foley, Kayla Jean Mueller, Steven Joel Sotloff and Peter Edward Kassig – each of whom died as hostages in ISIS custody. In addition, Kotey participated in hostage operations involving British, Italian, Danish and German nationals, among others.
“This guilty plea ensures that Kotey will spend the rest of his life in prison for the horrific crimes he has committed,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Mark J. Lesko for the Justice Department’s National Security Division. “Although there remains much work to be done in this case, we hope today’s events provide some measure of justice for Kotey’s victims and their families as they continue to grieve the loss of their loved ones. I want to thank all of the agents, analysts and prosecutors who worked tirelessly on this investigation and prosecution – their efforts are proof that the National Security Division and our partners will not rest in our commitment to hold accountable terrorists who target and attack U.S. citizens anywhere in the world.”
“This case has always been focused on the victims and their families,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Raj Parekh for the Eastern District of Virginia. “Their resilience, courage, and perseverance have ensured that terror will never have the last word. The justice, fairness, and humanity that this defendant received in the United States stand in stark contrast to the cruelty, inhumanity, and indiscriminate violence touted by the terrorist organization he espoused. Today, through the voices and lives of the victims, Justice spoke, and it is those words that will resonate through history.”
“Years ago, Alexanda Kotey’s actions played out on the world stage, and those brutal crimes against Americans James Foley, Steven Sotloff, Peter Kassig and Kayla Mueller, as well as two British and two Japanese hostages are forever burned into the eyes of the American people,” said Assistant Director Steven M. D’Antuono of the FBI’s Washington Field Office. “This guilty plea will not lessen the suffering of those affected by his cruelty, but I hope it reminds the world of the FBI’s unwavering dedication to finding and prosecuting all individuals who inflict harm on U.S. citizens, no matter their location.”
“Today we take a moment to remember all of the victims who perished at the hands of the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS) in Syria, and our thoughts are especially with the Sotloff, Kassig, Foley and Mueller families,” said Executive Assistant Director Jill Sanborn of the FBI’s National Security Branch. “Alexanda Kotey’s admission of guilt does not lessen the pain suffered by these families and others whose loved ones were taken from them by this heinous terror group, but we hope that this announcement will bring them closer to the justice that they deserve. I am proud of the unwavering dedication and tireless efforts of the men and women of the FBI and all of our partners – both domestic and international – to see justice served for these acts of terrorism.”
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Source: The U.S. Department of Justice