On December 7, COVID-19 whistleblower Rebekah Jones signed a deferred prosecution agreement in connection with a frame-up charge of unauthorized computer use brought against her by the State of Florida in January 2021.
In the agreement with State Attorney Jack Campbell in Leon County Circuit Court, the hacking charge against Jones was dismissed in exchange for signing off on the phrase, “Defendant admits her guilt of the offense(s) charged” and making a commitment to pay the Florida Department of Law Enforcement $20,000 for investigative costs.
The pretrial plea deal will remain in effect for 24 months, at which point the charge of “exceeding authorized use of computer systems” will be permanently dropped and there will be no record of Jones pleading guilty to anything.
Meanwhile, the agreement stipulates a series of draconian requirements including a guarantee that Jones “shall refrain from violations of any criminal law,” “will work regularly at a lawful occupation” and “see a licensed mental health professional” selected by the State of Florida “a minimum of 1 hour per month.”
The vindictive and bogus computer hacking charge was originally brought against the whistleblower on the orders of the administration of Florida Republican Governor Ron DeSantis. In the early months of the pandemic, Jones was a data scientist at the Florida Department of Health and she began raising concerns about the lack of transparency within the agency about the public impact of the pandemic.
...A US judge has dismissed veteran singer Smokey Robinson's defamation claim against four former housekeepers who have accused him of sexual assault. The women sued the Motown star, 86, last year fo...