Chicago-area man pleads guilty to conspiring to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization — ISIL

CHICAGO — A Chicago-area man pleaded guilty Wednesday to federal charges of conspiracy to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization in the Middle East.

Jonas M. Edmonds, 30, of Aurora, Illinois, pleaded guilty to two charges:  one count of conspiring to provide material support to the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), a designated foreign terrorist organization, and one count of making a materially false statement to a law enforcement officer regarding an offense involving international terrorism.

These charges and guilty plea were announced by Assistant Attorney General for National Security John P. Carlin, U.S. Attorney Zachary T. Fardon of the Northern District of Illinois, and Special Agent in Charge Michael J. Anderson of the FBI’s Chicago Division. This case is being investigated by the FBI’s Chicago Joint Terrorism Task Force.  The following agencies are assisting in this investigation:  U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the Illinois State Police, the Aurora Police Department, and the Illinois National Guard.

Edmonds has been detained in federal custody since he was arrested March 25 by members of the FBI’s Chicago Joint Terrorism Task Force.  According to the plea agreement, Jonas Edmonds and his cousin, Hasan Edmonds, devised a plan for Hasan Edmonds to travel to the Middle East to wage violence on behalf of ISIL.  Jonas Edmonds admitted that he expressed his support and excitement for Hasan Edmonds’ travel, believing that anyone who supported a mujahid (a fighter) was a mujahid himself.

According to the plea agreement, Jonas Edmonds intended to carry out an act of terrorism in the United States after Hasan Edmonds had departed for the Middle East.  Specifically, in March 2015, the cousins devised a plan for Jonas Edmonds to carry out an armed attack at the U.S. Army National Guard base in Joliet, Illinois, where Hasan Edmonds trained as a member of the Army National Guard.  According to the plea agreement, the plan called for Hasan Edmonds to provide military uniforms for Jonas Edmonds to wear during the attack, as well as a list of officers for Jonas Edmonds to kill.

Jonas Edmonds’ sentence will be determined by the court after a review of factors unique to this case, including the defendant’s prior criminal history, if any, the defendant’s role in the offense, and the characteristics of the violation.  Jonas Edmonds faces up to 15 years in prison for the material support charge, and up to eight years in prison for the false statement count.  U.S. District Judge John Z. Lee of the Northern District of Illinois scheduled a sentencing hearing for Jan. 27.

Hasan Edmonds was charged in a superseding information with one count of conspiring to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization and one count of attempting to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization.  His next court appearance is scheduled for Dec. 14, 2015.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Barry Jonas and John Kness of the Northern District of Illinois, and Trial Attorney Lolita Lukose of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section.