Mother defends man accused of supporting ISIS

Romeo Langhorne, 30, was arrested in Virginia after a years-long investigation by the FBI

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The mother of a former St. Johns County resident who stands accused of trying to help ISIS is coming to his defense.

Romeo Langhorne, 30, was arrested in Virginia after a years-long investigation by the FBI. Authorities said he showed an undercover agent how to record and post videos on how to build bombs. Langhorne lived in St. Augustine for years before moving back with his family near Roanoke, Va.

Now, News4Jax has obtained a handwritten three-page letter from his mother, Virginia Langhorne, with her side of the story. Virginia Langhorne sent the letter via fax to News4Jax’s sister station in Roanoke, WSLS.

In the letter, she said her son is not dangerous and needs help, not punishment.

“I do not want to appear on camera and I just feel you need to know these things about Romeo. The allegations against him are all false,” Virginia Langhorne starts the letter. “Romeo, just like Creigh Deeds’ son, has mental disorders and all his life he has had paranoid schizophrenia, ADHD, a personality disorder, depression and impairments that substantially limit him.”

The FBI labeled Romeo Langhorne a “long-time ISIS adherent.”

“Langhorne created and disseminated a video how to make “TATP’, a deadly explosive. Although the video includes disclaimers about educational purposes, Langhorne’s true purpose is to arm ISIS adherents and others with knowledge of how to make TATP,” according to a federal complaint.

His mother said Romeo Langhorne has been on disability most of his life and accuses the FBI of discrimination.

“The facts are not correct at all,” she continues. “There was no bomb making material, nothing to support their complaint...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.”

Romeo Langhorne remains in custody in Virginia.


About the Author:

Lifetime Jacksonville resident anchors the 8 and 9 a.m. weekday newscasts and is part of the News4Jax I-Team.