FRESNO,CA (KMJ) – A Modesto man sentenced to 15 years in prison for attempting to provide material support to ISIS.
27 year-old Everitt Aaron Jameson told undercover agents that he wanted to carry out a Christmas Day bombing and shooting attack at a popular San Francisco tourist attraction.
Jameson pleaded guilty in June of 2018 to attempting to aid a terrorist organization under a plea deal with federal prosecutors.
The suspected ISIS sympathizer has been held without bail at the Fresno County Jail since December 22, 2017, when he was charged with one count of attempting to provide material support and resources to a foreign terrorist organization.
According to an affidavit written by FBI Special Agent Christopher McKinney, Jameson picked the heavily populated tourist spot of Pier 39 for a possible attack because he said he knew he could use explosives, a tow truck and guns to inflict a lot of damage.
He was arrested after FBI agents posed as terror operatives and held discussions with him online.
Prosecutors say Jameson told the undercover FBI agents that he planned to use pipe bombs filled with nails and BB’s to channel victims into part of Pier 39 so he could shoot them.
Assistant Attorney General for National Security John C. Demers and U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott made the announcement on Monday.
“There is no place in the United States for terrorists and terrorist sympathizers who threaten innocent people, and the National Security Division will relentlessly seek to identify them and bring them to justice,” said Assistant Attorney General Demers.
The FBI says Jameson was inspired by the terrorist attack on Halloween in New York City, and by the 2015 San Bernardino attack that left 14 people dead.
First Assistant U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert stated: “This case demonstrates the FBI’s commitment to identifying and disrupting plots to harm the American public.
Jameson, an ex-marine, stated that he was well versed in the Anarchist Cookbook, and explained his desire to use explosives in an attack.
According to court documents, Jameson joined the Marine Corps and received basic training, including earning a sharpshooter rifle qualification, but was ultimately discharged for failing to disclose his asthma history.
Jameson faces lifetime supervision once he is released from custody.
