LEON COUNTY, Fla. — The Florida Department of Health researcher whose home was raided by Florida Department of Law Enforcement agents faced a judge on Monday morning.
Rebekah Jones turned herself in to the Leon County Detention Center in Tallahassee on Sunday night after the FDLE issued a warrant for her arrest on allegations that she illegally accessed a Florida Department of Health computer system.
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According to court records, Jones was released from jail on Monday after posting $2,500 bail.
Jones was fired from the health department last year. She said it was because she was critical of the state’s COVID-19 reporting.
According to the arrest warrant, Jones “was responsible for unauthorized access and several unauthorized access attempts to FDOH systems.”
READ: Florida agents raid home of ousted COVID-19 data curator
In December, state agents raided her home and accused her of accessing state computers, which she denied.
Over the weekend, Jones said there was a warrant for her arrest unrelated to her home.
Investigators said evidence retrieved from a search warrant shows that Jones illegally accessed the system, sent a message to about 1,750 people and downloaded confidential FDOH data and saved it to her devices.
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Jones has repeatedly denied sending the message.
According to the arrest warrant, Jones downloaded a file containing the contact information of approximately 19,000 people across the state. According to FDLE Special Agent Noel Pratts, “This file contained personal information to include first and last name, organizations, titles, counties located, personal email addresses and phone numbers.”
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Jones was charged with one count of offenses against users of computers, computer systems, computer networks and electronic devices, according to FDLE.
FDLE asked the court that Jones be banned from computer access, internet access and “contact with the witnesses or those people whose personal information was acquired through the download.”
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During Jones’ hearing Monday, Leon County Circuit Judge John Cooper denied the state’s request for a blanket computer ban, according to Jones’ attorney Stephen Dobson. Dobson also said Cooper rejected the state’s request for GPS monitoring of Jones but sided with the state and prohibited Jones from accessing the state’s Department of Health website.
Cox Media Group
