Federal Magistrate Denies Bail Request In San Francisco Pier 39 Terror Plot
FRESNO (CBS SF) -- A federal magistrate Thursday denied the bail request of a former U.S. Marine who is accused of planning a Christmas Day terrorist attack on San Francisco's Pier 39.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Barbara A. McAuliffe ordered 26-year-old Everitt Aaron Jameson to be held without bail and set another hearing date for next week.
With his family in the courtroom, Jameson -- dressed in a yellow jail jumpsuit -- showed little emotion during the short hearing.
FBI agents arrested Jameson in Modesto nearly a week ago and he is being held on charges that he attempted to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization. If convicted, he faces a maximum 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
According to the criminal complaint, Jameson "has espoused radical jihadi beliefs, including authoring social media posts that are supportive of terrorism, communicating with people he believes share his jihadi views and offering to provide services to such people ..."
Jameson allegedly detailed his plans for the terror attack with an undercover FBI agent whom he believed was associated with the senior leadership of ISIS.
The alleged plot involved setting off explosives remotely in one area of Pier 39 and then mowing people down with automatic rifle fire as they fled.
From the FBI complaint:
Jameson specifically named Pier 39 in San Francisco as a target location because he had been there before and knew that it was a heavily crowded area, and that, according to Jameson, no reconnaissance or site survey would be necessary (because Jameson already was familiar with the area). Jameson explained that he also desired to use explosives, and described a plan in which explosives could "tunnel" or "funnel" people into a location where Jameson could inflict casualties.
The complaint said Jameson suggested to the undercover agent that Christmas Day would be a "perfect day" for an attack. Jameson also told the agent "he did not have and did not need an escape plan because he was ready to die."
The plot unraveled and Jameson told the agent that he had second thoughts about carrying out his plan. But agents had enough evidence to search his Modesto home, according to the complaint.
Rifles, a handgun and ammunition were also found during the search of his home.