Marine Sergeant sentenced to 46 months in prison for lying about helping terrorists
A former Marine Corps sergeant was sentenced today to nearly four years in federal prison for lying about attempting to help two foreign terrorist organizations.
Jason Fong, 26, of Irvine pleaded guilty March 23 to making a false statement involving international terrorism after a mistrial was declared in his trial in January. U.S. District Judge David O. Carter sentenced Fong to 46 months in federal prison.
From February 2020 through May of that year he created encrypted online chat groups regarding chemical weapons, improvised explosive devices and tactical combat techniques for "individuals he invited based on their professed support for extremist Islamist ideology and terrorist organizations,'' according to federal prosecutors in his sentencing brief.
"One of those individuals invited into the chat group was a minor who told defendant he wanted to fight for the designated foreign terrorist organization Hay'at Tahir Al-Sham, HTS, in Syria, and that he was interested in `blowing up' a military base in the United States,'' prosecutors said.
Another person invited into the chat group was an undercover FBI agent, who met with the defendant to discuss his plans, prosecutors said.
When confronted with the evidence, Fong "lied to minimize his own conduct as well as the conduct of others in the chat group,'' prosecutors said.
Fong revealed in the chat group information from the "Improvised Munitions Black Book,'' on how to make explosives and various weapons, prosecutors said.
In the chat group he also "made other statements... regarding his animosity toward the United States and Israel, hatred of the LGBTQ community (`they must be eradicated'), willingness to kill U.S. military service members and law enforcement agents, and desire to die as a martyr,'' prosecutors said.
"Although he was a Marine... defendant stated that the U.S. Army were `just terrorists. Marines are as well,''' prosecutors said.
He also created a chat group to solicit cryptocurrency donations for Hamas, prosecutors said.
In a search of his home in May 2020, authorities found various weapons and Nazi paraphernalia.
Fong has been diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder, but prosecutors refuted that.
Fong's father wrote a letter to the judge saying his son "struggled in school."
He added, "I tried very hard to keep him focused on school work but Jason continued struggling to the end of high school."
Fong decided to join the military as a reservist instead of going to college.
Fong was raised a Christian, but began questioning his faith as he grew, his father said. He "found Islam to be more truthful compared to Christianity, seeing how many so-called Christians go to church on Sundays and behave like atheists the rest of the week,'' his father added.
Fong became a "devoted Muslim,'' who "prayed in Arabic five times a day,'' his father said.
Fong sought out other Muslims to learn more about the faith and found it easy to do online ``because he speaks Russian and Arabic,'' his father said. His parents were "shocked" when FBI agents came calling in May 2020, his father said.
While in custody, Fong "discovered some flaws in Islam... and turned to Catholicism,'' his father said. But now he is a Lutheran, his father said.
"During Jason's period of home arrest, he was finally diagnosed with severe autism,'' his father said.
Fong's family members have said he has been taking online college courses now and wishes to further his studies.
