JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A federal grand jury has indicted a former St. Johns County man accused of trying to help ISIS, the Department of Justice announced Thursday.
Romeo Xavier Langhorne, 30, is charged with knowingly attempting to provide material support and resources to the foreign terrorist organization, according to a copy of his federal indictment. He was arrested Nov. 15 in Roanoke, Virginia, and is being detained while awaiting trial.
According to charging documents, federal investigators suspect Langhorne has been supporting ISIS since 2014. The complaint alleges Langhorne made contact in February with someone he believed to be connected to the group and provided instructions to produce a video detailing how to make bombs.
In reality, Langhorne’s contact was an undercover federal agent.
Since his arrest, Langhorne’s mother has come to her son’s defense. In a letter to a News4Jax sister station, Virginia Langhorne said her son is mentally ill but not dangerous. She disputed the allegations against her son outlined in federal court documents.
She said her son has dealt with a wide range of disorders, including paranoid schizophrenia and depression, his entire life: “Romeo is fine when he’s on his medication but he has been off meds for at least two years and just as people with dementia or Alzheimer's, you can’t think or function clearly.”
Langhorne faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison if convicted.