TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Former Florida Department of Health analyst Rebekah Jones has turned herself in after a warrant was issued for her arrest.
Jones was fired from her post in May after she questioned the validity Florida's public COVID-19 data.
She has been an outspoken critic of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and state health agencies on social media since she was fired.
At a court hearing on Monday morning, a judge set Jones' bond at $2,500. Court records show she bonded out of the Leon County Jail at 10:58 a.m.
Florida authorities, who have been investigating an alleged hack into the state's emergency response system, raided Jones' home on Dec. 8.
To protect my family from continued police violence, and to show that I'm ready to fight whatever they throw at me, I'm turning myself into police in Florida Sunday night. The Governor will not win his war on science and free speech. He will not silence those who speak out.
— Rebekah Jones (@GeoRebekah) January 16, 2021
Agents served the search warrant on her Tallahassee home after a complaint from the Department of Health regarding unauthorized access to its emergency alert system.
"Agents believe someone at the residence on Centerville Court illegally accessed the system," Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) spokeswoman Gretl Plessinger said.
Details from the @GeoRebekah criminal complaint, detailing what authorities allege they found after searching her computer. Jones is accused of unauthorized computer access after someone breached state systems in Nov. sending messages to state employees urging they speak out. pic.twitter.com/ypTM4ezZH0
— Forrest Saunders (@FBSaunders) January 18, 2021
"The agent told my lawyer there would be only one charge, but emphasized that speaking out or going to the media may result in police 'stacking' additional charges," Jones said Saturday on Twitter. "All of this just to silence a critic of a governor who failed to do his job and got thousands killed as a result."
"A potential condition of my release may be no access to computers, internet or electronic devices," Jones continued. "Bogus charges designed to silence and now jail me for being a scientist critical of the government. That's the textbook definition of #censorship."
Her tweet at 2:33 p.m. Saturday appeared to indicate that she was going to turn herself in.
"Saying goodbye to my family just now is the hardest thing I've ever done in my life," she tweeted.
Saying goodbye to my family just now is the hardest thing I've ever done in my life.
— Rebekah Jones (@GeoRebekah) January 16, 2021
Jones will appear in court at 11 a.m. ET on Monday.
