Pensacola Man Sentenced to 3 Years for Making False Statements Regarding His Support and Promotion of ISIL

PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – Robert Blake Jackson, 31, of Pensacola, was sentenced to 3 years in federal prison today for making materially false statements in a federal investigation. The sentence was announced by Christopher P. Canova, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.

In October 2014, Jackson’s Facebook profile contained comments, photos, and videos expressing support for extremist terrorist groups such as the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, also known as ISIS). This included graphic ISIL videos promoting the execution of those who oppose ISIL. In January 2015, a Pensacola telemarketing corporation reported they had recently fired Jackson for viewing ISIL related and other terrorist related websites and videos on his work computer.

In June 2015, during an interview with the FBI, Jackson stated that he never posted any pro-ISIL or violent content, and that he only used the internet at work to search news sites. Upon his arrest in July 2016, Jackson was in possession of an electronic tablet that contained the most recent addition of Dabiq, an ISIL recruitment magazine, as well as audio lectures of Anwar al-Awalki. At his plea hearing on September 23, 2016, Jackson admitted that the statements he made to federal agents were false.

“Our law enforcement agencies work around the clock to keep us safe,” said U.S. Attorney Canova. “The United States Attorney’s Office will vigorously prosecute those who provide false statements to federal agents, because false statements divert precious time and resources from the furtherance of important criminal investigations.”

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 prosecuted the case, with the assistance of David Cora of the National Security Division.

The United States Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access available public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.

For more information, contact:
Amy Alexander, Public Information Officer

(850) 216-3854, amy.alexander@usdoj.gov