Sentencing for Joliet Armory Shooting Plotter Delayed

Sentencing for an Aurora man accused of plotting with his cousin to attack the Illinois National Guard base in Joliet has been delayed.

Jonas Edmonds was originally scheduled to be sentenced Jan. 27, but a court filing moved it to March 14, according to a report from the Associated Press published by the Daily Herald.

Edmonds had pleaded guilty to conspiring to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization and making a false statement to a law enforcement officer regarding an international terrorism offense. A plea agreement would land him 21 years in prison.

Edmonds cousin, Hasan Edmonds, will be sentenced at the same time.

In a court filing, Edmonds’ lawyer said the attack plot was nothing but “bold talk” brought on by smoking marijuana.

The cousins allegedly plotted to shoot up the Illinois National Guard Armory in Joliet. The men allegedly traveled to the Joliet Armory March 24, 2015, 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.