Skip to main content

Hopatcong Woman Admits Concealing Terrorist Financing to Syrian Foreign Terrorist Organizations

Hopatcong

A Sussex County woman today admitted that she concealed her attempts to provide material support to Syrian foreign terrorist organizations, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger, Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the U.S. Department of Justice’s National Security Division, FBI-Newark Special Agent in Charge Jesse Levine, and FBI Assistant Director for Counterterrorism Timothy Langan announced.

According to officials, Maria Bell, aka “Maria Sue Bell,” 54, of Hopatcong, pleaded guilty to an information charging her with one count of concealing attempts to provide material support to designated foreign terrorist organizations.

According to documents previously filed in this case:

Bell admitted that from February 2018 to November 2018, she knowingly concealed and disguised the nature, location, source, ownership and control of the attempted provision of material support and resources to fighters based in Syria who were members of Jabhat Fath al-sham, also known as Jabhat Fateh al-Sham (JFS) and Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS). 

Bell admitted that she knew JFS and HTS were designated foreign terrorist organizations, that JFS and HTS has engaged or engages in terrorist activities. 

She admitted the offense to which she pleaded guilty involved the concealment of the attempted provision of funds or other material support or resources with the intent, knowledge, or reason to believe they were to be used to commit or assist in the commission of a violent act.

1,000