By: Yuritza Arroyo
Federal authorities announced that a Sussex County woman was sentenced today to 34 months in prison for concealing her attempts to provide material support to Syrian foreign terrorist organizations.
According to federal officials, Maria Bell, aka “Maria Sue Bell,” 55, of Hopatcong, previously pleaded guilty to an information charging her with one count of concealing attempts to provide material support to designated foreign terrorist organizations.
Federal official say 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.
According to authorities, 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.
In addition to the prison term, Bell was sentenced to five years of supervised release.