Accused Massacre Plotter Pleads Guilty in Foiled Attack on Joliet Armory

CHICAGO, IL - An accused Aurora terrorist pleaded guilty Wednesday to conspiring to provide material support and resources to the Islamic State and making false statements regarding international terrorism.

According to a report from the Chicago Sun-Times, Jonas Edmonds, 30, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge John Lee.

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Edmonds and his cousin, Hasan Edmonds, 23, allegedly plotted to shoot up the Illinois National Guard Armory in Joliet. Hasan Edmonds is expected to plead guilty Monday, Dec. 14.

The men allegedly traveled to the Joliet Armory March 24 to scout out an attack they hoped would kill as many as 150 people.

Hasan Edmonds had trained at the armory with the Illinois National Guard. Jonas Edmonds was going to attack the armory while wearing his cousin’s uniform from when he served with the 634th Brigade Support Battalion

Hasan was arrested March 25 at Chicago Midway International Airport while attempting to board a flight to Detroit on the first leg of his journey to Cairo, Egypt. Hasan had planned to hook up with an ISIS connection — an undercover FBI informant — who would take him into Syria where he would join up with the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, prosecutors said.

Jonas Edmonds was arrested at his Aurora home later that evening. Prosecutors allege Hasan provided uniforms, a list of ranking officers and other inside information about the Joliet military facility.

The cousins had been under watch by federal agents since Hasan Edmonds traded Facebook messages with an undercover agent he believed was involved with ISIS.

The cousins face up to 15 years in prison.