She was just ‘lonely and depressed,’
A mother-of-two who planned to leave her children behind in Philadelphia to join her ISIS internet husband only did so because she was ‘lonely’ her lawyers said.
Keonna Thomas, 32, will be sentenced on Wednesday after admitting in October that she had intended to provide material support to a terrorist organization in 2015 by flying to Syria to be with a man she married over Skype.
‘Ms. Thomas was a lonely, depressed, anxiety-ridden mother who spent too much time on the internet,’ her lawyers have told the judge according to Philly.com.
‘By attempting to relocate to ISIS-held territory and marry an ISIS fighter, she never gave ISIS anything of value – except her love.’
Keonna Thomas (seen in court drawing), 32, had intended to flee Philadelphia to fight for ISIS in Syria alongside her husband in March 2015 until the FBI raided her home
The remarks were sent by Thomas’ lawyers, Elizabeth Toplin and Kathleen Gaughan, in a sentencing memo to US District Judge Michael Baylson.
They pleaded for a sentence of just a four-and-a-half-years, saying that despite social media posts saying she wanted to be a martyr, Thomas was just posturing and didn’t pose a real terrorism threat.
Toplin and Gaughan added that ‘She carries significant guilt, finding it difficult to fathom how she could have ever considered abandoning her children,’ and wants to ‘rebuild her life with her children’.
She had married Abu Khalid al-Amriki (pictured) online. Her lawyers say she was just ‘lonely and depressed’ and now feels guilty about considering abandoning her children
But Assistant US Attorney Jennifer Arbittier Williams, in her own sentencing recommendation, said on Friday that Thomas needs to be hit hard to dissuade other women.
‘Others who might find themselves dissatisfied with life and excited by online extremists promising acceptance, a meaningful life, and piety must be shown that providing material support to terrorists translates to a very lengthy prison sentence regardless of the circumstances,’ she wrote.
Thomas had intended to leave her daughters, aged seven and nine, to fight alongside husband Abu Khalid al-Amriki in Syria on March 27, 2015.
That same morning, the FBI – who had seen she had bought a visa to Turkey, a known ISIS recruitment hub – raided her home and prevented her leaving the country.
She was arrested a week later, on April 3.
That came two months after she was caught communicating with a new ISIS recruit in Syria who said, according to court documents: ‘U probably want to do Istishadee [martyrdom operations] with me.’
She responded: ‘that would be amazing …. a girl can only wish,’ to which the unnamed co-conspirator responded: ‘I can make that wish come true.’
This was Thomas’ home. Prosecutors are urging the judge to hand down a hefty sentence to deter other women when she goes up for sentencing on Wednesday
Al-Amriki – Arabic for ‘the American’ – was formerly known as Shawn Joel Parson.
The Trinidadian national lived in the States before moving to Syria in 2013, though precisely where is unclear.
It’s not clear when exactly Thomas married him over a Skype session, but he was killed by a drone strike in September of 2015.
Thomas – who called herself Fatayat Al Khilafah and ‘YoungLioness’ – actively spoke of her desires on a Twitter account that has since been removed.
‘I see why the mujahideen [violent jihadi fighters] Sacrifice Dunya [life on earth] for Akhirah [the afterlife] there’s no comparison,’ read one tweet.
Another said; ‘Only thing I’m jealous of is when I see the smiles of shuhadaa [martyrs].’
Her home, which had been under surveillance by FBI in the week leading to her arrest, had American flags lined up outside.
In one exchange with the fighter, they discussed how he would shoot or behead his wife if she turned out to be a spy.
‘Cutting head is more personal,’ Thomas replied.
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4854738/Mom-planned-live-ISIS-fighter-lonely.html#ixzz4rwm5TVeJ
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