COLUMBIA, Mo. (KFVS) – A Missouri man pleaded guilty to trying to provide material support to people he believed were members of the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham.
They were actually undercover law enforcement.
Robert Lorenzo Hester, Jr., 28, pleaded guilty on Monday, September 23. Hester has been in federal custody since his arrest in February 2017. He is a U.S. citizen and was enlisted in the U.S. Army for less than a year, receiving a general discharge from service in mid-2013.
Under the terms of the plea agreement, Hester could face a sentence of 20 years in federal prison, which is the maximum penalty. He may not seek a sentence below 15 years’ imprisonment.
The report blanks the faces of his two kids, which is probably for the best, as they won't see him for a while - and probably won't want to be associated with him anyway.