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Escambia Man Charged In Federal ISIS Investigation
July 29, 2016
An Escambia County man has been charged with making false statements in a federal ISIS related investigation.
Robert Blake Jackson, 31, made an initial appearance Thursday in federal court after being arrested morning on a charge of making materially false statements in a federal investigation.
According to the criminal complaint affidavit, on several occasions in 2014 and 2015, Jackson made Facebook postings expressing support for extremist terrorist groups and stating a desire to assist the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIS or ISIL). The affidavit also alleges that, in January 2015, a Pensacola telemarketing business reported it had fired Jackson for viewing ISIL and other terrorist-related websites and videos on his work computer. It is further alleged that, when FBI agents interviewed Jackson in June 2015, he denied all these activities.
The punishment for the crime alleged is a maximum of five years in prison. Jackson is currently in federal custody, being held at the Santa Rosa County Jail, pending further proceedings. Future court appearances will take place in the U.S. District Court in Pensacola on a date to be determined.
This case resulted from an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, and the other members of the FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force. Assistant United States Attorney David L. Goldberg is prosecuting the case.
Comments
28 Responses to “Escambia Man Charged In Federal ISIS Investigation”
@jackie blevins
They said when Adolph Hitler was born, he was a very beautiful baby, so what is your point?
@jackie blevins: his freedom of speech is not being violated. he made false statements to the law. as far as i know this at least obstruction. still, aligning yrself with terrorists in this time, with all the death & destruction associated with them, is not a very smart thing to do. u can’t just claim u were joking.
He is a father a husband and a good guy this arrest is wrong you are free to search and believe what ever u want hints land of the free I understand him being fired for doing it from his work computers but out in jail for a min. Of five years …it’s not right not at all our freedoms are being taken and I’m coming in town to protest this not because I know him and know he’s a good person but because I want to stand up for our rights and for the rights of our next generation. In sorry to the people who support this but read between the lines don’t fall in to the media stand up for your rights…..it doesn’t matter what his beliefs where he didn’t and wasn’t planning to harm anyone and doesn’t deserve this.
hmm…same 1 finger sign obama has been pictured flashing while visiting the middle east. it is funny the contrasting pics 1 all hard n sinister the other like wo oh shaggy!
I went to tate with him 01-04. He was a really genuine nice guy for a couple years…then he got quiet and dark…im honestly not at all surprised to read this article.
I have known this guy for some time, he is a big 31 yr old kid, he switches religions every couple of years, he is a attention seeker, I know ppl hear this alot but I have never met anyone with a bigger heart
Okay, I get it. If you’re rich and lie to the feds you can still run for president. If you’re poor you go to jail. Simply being an ISIS sympathizer and speaking out about it shouldn’t land you in jail. Don’t get me wrong all ISIS should be executed. This goes one step further and is a violation of free speech. Unless they have emails where he’s plotting with ISIS.
If we are at war then okay he belongs in jail. If we’re at war then we shouldn’t allow any Muslims into the country and all current Muslims in the country should be put in interment camps like during WW2 with the Japanese.
“arrested on a charge of making materially false statements in a federal investigation”
I was under the impression it wasn’t illegal to lie to the FBI. Oh wait, just change your name to Clinton and your golden.
If you don’t like this country there are roads that lead out, planes that fly out and boats that sail out. Chose an option and leave.
Also, he hasn’t landed 5 years in federal prison. The guidelines allow for that much. He could get nothing, up to five years for what he is accused of doing. The feds will have to prove it (no problem with the employer testimony and Facebook records), then the judge will decide how much time he gets, if any.
“Robert Blake Jackson, 31, made an initial appearance Thursday in federal court after being arrested morning on a charge of making materially false statements in a federal investigation.”
@ Molinoman: He’s arrested for lying, not for wanting to be in ISIS. The investigation just happens to be about his desire to be a terrorist. He was foolish enough to make very public statements about it on his FB account, and to use his employer’s computers at work to look at their trash. Then, dumb enough to lie to the feds about it.
We’ll see what else shakes out of the “cyber” trees when they get finished with him. If you don’t want people to know, don’t put it on social media!
Let me just clarify, He should spend his time in prison for making false statements during a federal investigation. Maybe during that time he can get straight.
According to the article he is being charged with making false statements in a federal investigation. He basically lied in an investigation. He can’t be charged for what he said on Facebook, and what he was looking up on the internet. He can be investigated for that, and he was. I do not support him or his beliefs at all, but I do support freedom of speech. This is still America right?
What a pitiful excuse of an american! Lock him up, send him away, deny his american citizenship! Dont these sick people here on our soil!
I agree with molinoman. And before attack comments start popping up – no, I don’t agree with this guy and don’t favor ISIS, It simply does not make sense to let terrorists into this country, but get on a soap box complaining about a possibly- in -the- making home grown terrorist’s actions. As far as facebook account surveillance for 200+ millions Americans goes – use this technology instead to scramble or delete ISIS propaganda before anybody is tempted to look at it. The same goes for child pornography sites.
He looks a lot less sinister in his mugshot photo on the right compared to the photo on the left.
Those Europeans prior to WWII had good reasons to keep Islam out of Europe. Of course you will not learn about accurate unrevised history by going to a Federally funded school.
I THINK HE NEEDS TO BE SENT TO GITMO ALONG WITH ALL THE OTHERS THAT HAS BEEN CAUGHT TRADE THEM FOR OUR PRISONERS THAT ARE
BEING HELD AND IF THEY GET KILLED OVER THERE THEY WOULD NOT
BE ALLOWED TO BE BROUGHT BACK TO THE UNITED STATES TO BE
BURIED.
One person? Where are his buddies, I hear they never work alone. Or maybe he is a wannabee.
Revoke his U S citizenship, put him on a plane to the Middle East and never allow him back in the USA. See how he likes that
So let me get this straight. Just saying you want to help ISIS and looking at an ISIL website lands you 5 years in federal? That makes total sense. While we are letting Muslims into our country and letting them try to change the moral Christian majority to Sharia law. Yeah makes total sense. This country is going down the toilet.
What a loser. Probably had no friends and this was his only social “outlet”. Out of work telemarketer that turned against his very own country.
Have heard our prisons are recruiting grounds for these Muslim Extremists Terrorists.
It’s kinda funny how the look on his face changed.
Should have let him go. This is darwinism. Let these idiots go and live with the savages they proclaim to support. Im tired of wasting tax dollars feeding, housing, and taking care of people like this.
@Matthew, a wonderful idea.
I was thinking more along the lines of burning him at the stake.
An alleged crime of betraying your country to possibly kill hundreds of fellow Americans only holds five years, just enough time to make a bigger and better plan?
Hand him over to a firing squad for betraying us.