Woman gets nearly 3 years in prison for concealing attempts to aid terrorists

A Sussex County woman was sentenced to nearly three years in prison for concealing her attempts to provide material support to Syrian foreign terrorist organizations, federal authorities said.

Maria Bell, also known as “Maria Sue Bell,” 55, of Hopatcong had pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge John Michael Vazquez to one count of concealing attempts to provide material support to designated foreign terrorist organizations.

Vazquez imposed the sentence Jan. 24 in Newark federal court.

According to documents previously filed in this case, Bell admitted that from February 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).

She admitted that she knew that JFS and HTS were designated foreign terrorist organizations and that both have engaged in terrorist activities.

In addition to the prison term, Vazquez sentenced Bell to five years of supervised release.

U.S. Attorney Philip Sellinger credited special agents of the FBI and officers of the Joint Terrorism Task Force, under the direction of FBI-Newark Special Agent in Charge James Dennehy, as well as special agents of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Ricky Patel in Newark, with the investigation.