An attorney for Chicago-area resident Hasan Edmonds, a 22-year-old
Army National Guard Specialist, asked a federal magistrate judge at
a hearing for more time to put together arguments for why Edmonds
should get bail. Judge Sheila Finnegan agreed to postpone the
hearing, and decided to keep Edmonds in custody in the meantime.
Federal prosecutors said Edmonds, who was arrested on Wednesday,
planned to carry out an armed attack on the military facility where
he had been training in Joliet, 34 miles (55 km) southwest of
downtown Chicago, with the help of Jonas Edmonds, his 29-year-old
cousin.
Jonas Edmonds also was arrested and charged.
The plan was for Hasan Edmonds to leave the United States and join
Islamic State fighters - he was arrested at Chicago's Midway airport
as he tried to fly to Egypt - while Jonas Edmonds carried out the
attack, according to an affidavit attached to the criminal
complaint.
The cousins were arrested after discussing their plans with an
undercover FBI employee.
Finnegan said Edmonds' attorney Paul Flynn can request the bond
hearing when he is ready. A preliminary hearing, where the
prosecution will have to present its evidence against him, is set
for April 6.
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As a member of the Illinois National Guard since 2011, Hasan Edmonds
reported to the guard's Joliet base one weekend a month and annually
did two weeks of active duty training. He lived in Aurora, about 41
miles (66 km) southwest of Chicago.
The cousins face maximum penalties of 15 years in prison and fines
of $250,000 if convicted.
(Reporting by Fiona Ortiz; Editing by Mary Wisniewski, Lisa Lambert
and Eric Walsh)
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