U.S. v. Jones

Dist. Ct. did not err in denying defendant’s post-trial motion for acquittal on charge of providing material support for terrorist organization ISIS, even though defendant argued that government personnel entrapped him into providing cell phones to government agent to give to ISIS in Syria to aid ISIS terrorist operations that formed basis of charged offense. Jury was properly instructed on entrapment issue, and although some evidence supported defendant’s entrapment claim, where government agents spent 18 months fostering relationship with defendant, jury could also properly find that defendant, without undue pressure from government agents/informant, bought and gave cell phones to informant to take to Syria to help ISIS assemble IEDs. Moreover, texts and recorded communications between defendant and government agents, as well as defendant’s positive comments about ISIS and his willingness to share ISIS propaganda, supported agents’ testimonies that they followed defendant’s lead with respect to providing aide to ISIS. Fact that government informant received $50,000 “bonus” from government one month after trial did not entitle defendant to new trial, where Ct. of Appeals found that any pre-trial disclose of government intent to give said bonus would not have changed outcome of trial.