Tuesday, April 04, 2017

Two Florida Men Plead Guilty to Conspiring to Provide Material Support to ISIL



Dayne Antani Christian, aka Shakur, 32, of Lake Park, Florida, pleaded guilty on March 29, to conspiracy to provide material support to the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), a designated foreign terrorist organization, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 2339B(a)(1); and one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 922(g)(1). Darren Arness Jackson, aka Daoud, 51, of West Palm Beach, Florida, pleaded guilty on April 4, also to conspiracy to provide material support to ISIL. ISIL is also known by the acronym ISIS (the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham). Both defendants are U.S. citizens.

Acting Assistant Attorney General for National Security Mary B. McCord, Acting U.S. Attorney Benjamin G. Greenberg for the Southern District of Florida, Special Agent in Charge George L. Piro of the FBI’s Miami Field Office and members of the South Florida Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF) made the announcement. Both pleas were entered before U.S. District Judge Robin Rosenberg.

On July 21, 2016, Christian, Jackson and co-defendant Gregory Hubbard, aka Jibreel, were arrested by the FBI, after Jackson drove Hubbard and an FBI confidential human source (CHS) to Miami International Airport for an overseas flight to Germany. According to the criminal complaint filed in the case, Hubbard had purchased a ticket to Berlin, Germany, and planned to travel later to Turkey by train and then cross into Syria to join ISIL.

On July 26, 2016, an indictment was returned by the Grand Jury charging the three defendants with conspiring and attempting to provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization (ISIL), in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2339B(a)(1). Christian was also charged with four counts of being a felon in possession of a firearm, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(1).

According to the indictment, beginning in at least July 2015 and continuing until their arrests, Hubbard, Christian and Jackson conspired to provide personnel to ISIL. According to admissions made as part of their guilty pleas, both Christian and Jackson talked with Hubbard and the CHS about their support of ISIL and various acts of terrorism committed by and attributed to ISIL and its supporters. Both Christian and Jackson expressed a desire to travel to Syria to join ISIL. At various times during the conspiracy both Christian and Jackson provided firearms (including an AK-47 style assault rifle provided by Christian) and firearms instruction so that Hubbard and the CHS could practice shooting at a remote area in Palm Beach County in preparation for their travel to Syria to join ISIL.

Hubbard is presently scheduled for trial in front of Judge Rosenberg for the trial period commencing October 30. All three defendants have been detained since their arrests.

Christian and Jackson face a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in prison on the conspiracy plea. Christian faces an additional statutory maximum sentence of 10 years in prison for his plea to being a felon in possession of a firearm. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes. If convicted of any offense, the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. No sentencing date has been scheduled for the two defendants.

The FBI and JTTF investigated the case with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; Transportation Security Administration; Miami International Airport Police Department; Boca Raton, Florida, Police Department; Palm Beach Sheriff’s Office; City of West Palm Beach Police Department; and Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Karen E. Gilbert and Edward C. Nucci for the Southern District of Florida, and Trial Attorney Larry Schneider of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section.

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