National Guard Soldier ‘Who Planned Paris-Style Attack on US Soil’ Facing 30 Years in Prison

A National Guard soldier who conspired with is cousin to join ISIS and massacre up to 150 people at his military base is facing up to 30 years in prison after pleading guilty to providing support to a terrorist organisation.

Hasan Edmonds, 23, of Aurora, Illinois, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiring to provide material support to ISIS and one count of attempting to provide material support to the same organisation.

His cousin Jonas Edmonds, 30, also admitted the conspiracy charge as well as one count of making a false statement to authorities regarding international terrorism. He is facing a maximum jail term of 23 years when he reappears in court for sentence next year.

Jonas and Hasan Edmonds

Hasan Edmonds made contact with an undercover FBI agent whom he believed was an ISIS terrorist in Libya.

He requested advice on ‘how to fight and defeat the US military’. At the time, Hasan Edmonds was serving with the Illinois National Guard in Joliet. He told undercover agents were willing to attack the United States.

Both cousins later met with another undercover agent in March who pretended to help the younger Edmonds travel to Mosul in Iraq to join ISIS.

They also discussed a plan for Jonas Edmonds, 30, to use his cousin’s military uniforms to attack the base in Joliet, Illinois where Hasan Edmonds was assigned.

Jonas said he wanted the undercover agent to help him achieve a ‘body count’ of 100 to 150 people.

Hasan Edmonds took his cousin and the undercover agent to the base on March 24 to conduct surveillance and retrieve a training schedule in order to pick the best time to attack, the plea agreement said.

Jonas Edmonds drove his cousin to the airport the next day, but Hasan Edmonds was arrested before he could board the flight to Egypt. Jonas Edmonds drove from the airport to his cousin’s house but was arrested before he could retrieve the uniforms.

John Carlin, Assistant Attorney General for National Security said: ‘Thanks to the efforts of many prosecutors, agents and analysts, we were able to ensure these plotters did not attain their violent endgames, and with these guilty pleas, they will be held accountable.

‘Counterterrorism remains the (Justice) Department’s highest priority, and we will continue (to) use all available tools to combat ISIL, a foreign terrorist organization that rapes, murders and enslaves Muslims and non-Muslims alike.’

Mr Carlin said: ‘Hasan and Jonas Edmonds conspired to provide material support to ISIL.

‘They admitted planning to wage violence on behalf of ISIL in the Middle East and to conduct an attack on our soil. Thanks to the efforts of many prosecutors, agents and analysts, we were able to ensure these plotters did not attain their violent endgames, and with these guilty pleas, they will be held accountable.

‘Counterterrorism remains the department’s highest priority, and we will continue use all available tools to combat ISIL, a foreign terrorist organization that rapes, murders and enslaves Muslims and non-Muslims alike.’

According to the FBI Hasan Edmonds is facing a maximum combined sentence of 30 years and a $500,000 fine. He will be sentenced on March 18, 2016.

Jonas Edmonds will reappear in court on January 27, 2016. He faces a maximum term of 23 years.