Illinois soldier, cousin, indicted on charges for allegedly trying to join ISIS

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Friday, April 3, 2015
Family speaks about Ill. Natl Guardsman trying to join ISIS
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CHICAGO (WLS) -- Hasan Edmonds, an Illinois U.S. Army National Guard specialist and his cousin, Jonas Edmonds, have been indicted on federal charges alleging that they tried to join ISIS.

Both men were arrested March 26 following a FBI investigation as Hasan Edmonds was intercepted before leaving on a plane from Midway Airport to Cairo, Egypt. Prosecutors say Hasan allegedly emailed an undercover FBI agent saying he wanted to travel to the Middle East and "cause as much damage and mayhem as possible" in the U.S.

Hasan had joined the National Gard in 2011, serving with the 634th Brigade Support Battalion in Joliet.

Both men face one count of conspiring to provide material support and resources to a foreign terrorist organization and will be arraigned April 8.