PHOENIX – A Chandler woman, Jill Marie Jones, was arrested on July 22, 2020, for attempting to provide material support to al Qaeda. Jones, who said she had little income gave $500 to an undercover FBI agent to be used to kill U.S. soldiers.
The timing is interesting because of coronavirus we all got government money. Free money basically. We would be delayed without it anyway and it would be most ironic the money from that goes for this,” said Jones referring to her contribution. “They give us free money and I turn it around on them, yes.
According to the criminal complaint, Jones was in communication with two FBI undercover employees, one of whom she believed to be a member of al Qaeda. During her conversations with the purported al Qaeda member, Jones agreed to send the employee money to purchase scopes for rifles that would be used by al Qaeda to kill American soldiers. In May 2020, Jones gave the purported al Qaeda member $500 using a prepaid gift card.
“I had at one time thought of acting here, I have a base near me,” Jones told the undercover agent referring to Luke Air Force Base, “but my power is limited here. My resources and it’s reach. Even then the brothers and sisters here would only be negatively impacted by it. They would get more harassment and the ones that aren’t strong will go further from Islam from it. But more importantly I fear my own reasons… sometimes it feels selfish when it can only be for Allah.”
The communications with the undercover employees also revealed Jones’ desire to travel overseas to assist al Qaeda. Thereafter, Jones purchased tickets to fly overseas to join al Qaeda in Afghanistan, but due to airport closures, she changed her flights to go to Turkey instead. Jones planned to then travel on to Syria.
On July 22, 2020, Jones traveled to Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport in Arizona to board a flight to begin her travel to join al Qaeda. FBI agents arrested Jones after she checked in for her flight at the airport.
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