3 men deny trying to help Islamic State

Palm Beach County suspects have demanded jury trial

Three men accused of attempting to help terrorists pleaded not guilty Wednesday in federal court in West Palm Beach.

Gregory Hubbard, Darren Arness Jackson and Dayne Antani Christian are charged with conspiring to support the Islamic State group.

The men, who have demanded a jury trial, remain jailed. All wore blue jumpsuits and shackles. When asked questions, they responded with “yes, sir.”

Hubbard, 52, of West Palm Beach, was arrested Thursday at Miami International Airport as he was preparing to board a flight to Germany, where he planned to take a train to Turkey and then make his way to Syria to wage violent jihad, according to federal investigators.

U.S. Magistrate Judge Dave Lee Brannon denied Hubbard bond, determining him to be both a flight risk and a potential danger to the community.

“His comments and actions, his training with firearms, all show a desire to be an active warrior in jihad,” Brannon said.

The two other men helped him prepare for the journey, investigators said. Jackson, 50, of West Palm Beach, and Christian, 31, of Lake Park, gave Hubbard guns and taught him how to use them, according to a criminal complaint filed by the U.S. attorney's office.

They waived their bond hearings but reserved the right to ask for bond. The men face a maximum of 20 years in prison. Christian faces an additional 10 years in prison if convicted of being a felon in possession of a firearm.

With the help of a confidential informant posing as an Islamic State group follower, the FBI kept tabs on the trio for more than a year, special agent Brian King testified.

Together, they went to the JW Corbett Wildife Management Area and shooting range for target practice, firing semi-automatic pistols and assault rifles, he said. They used the code word “soccer team” when talking about the Islamic State group and the phrase “playing soccer” when discussing waging violent jihad, according to the criminal complaint.

Hubbard spoke of attacking the Pentagon and White House and voiced support for the mass shootings in San Bernardino, Calif., and Orlando, saying he “did not care how many Americans and Infidels were killed,” according to federal investigators.

Hubbard told the informant there are only two types of people in the world — “those who were with ISIS and those who were against ISIS,” according to the criminal complaint.

King testified that Hubbard also talked as recently as July 7 of building a bomb to kill police officers, but he changed his mind because it could spoil his travel plans.

During the bond hearing, more details emerged about Hubbard’s background.

He does not speak Arabic and attended a mosque in Palm Beach County several times a month, King said. Hubbard served in the U.S. Marines and was honorably discharged, the magistrate judge said. Other than a shoplifting offense when he was 18, his criminal record was clean.

Hubbard worked as an artist, but he became depressed and homeless after falling victim to fraud, Hubbard’s public defender said during his questioning.

The attorney asked whether the FBI knew that Hubbard was prescribed medication for mental illness. King said agents were aware that he was “unstable and prone to outbursts.”

When he was arrested, Hubbard had about $8,000 in cash on him, King said. He had placed his artwork, which he valued at $500,000, in a storage unit in Georgia, according to testimony.

Hubbard told the informant he didn’t plan to return to the United States.

In response to questioning from Hubbard’s attorney, King said the informant had been convicted of wire fraud and had agreed to become an FBI informant. He has worked for the FBI for about eight years and has been paid slightly more than $100,000, King said.

The other two men helped Hubbard, but they did not plan to travel to Syria, the complaint alleges. Christian spoke of seeing a man at the gym wearing a U.S. Marines shirt and wanting to follow him home to “pop” him from behind, according to the complaint.

Christian played recorded lectures on his phone advocating jihad and gave the informant a semi-automatic pistol, according to investigators.

When Christian left the courtroom, he placed his hand over his chest and nodded to a group of people sitting in the audience. A woman who watched the hearing wept occasionally. After Christian left, she broke down in tears in a conference room outside the courtroom, saying “Oh God” as she cried.

Family members and Christian’s attorney declined to comment.

Jackson is accused of driving the informant and Hubbard to the airport, while knowing they planned to join the Islamic State group. He also had weapons, including a sniper rifle, and he said he would travel overseas after learning Arabic, according to the complaint.

Jackson was arrested after he dropped Hubbard off at the airport, and Christian was arrested at work.