January 19th – Rebecca Jones, a data scientist from Florida, was fired by the local health department for refusing to forge coronavirus data. Later, she was searched by agents at gunpoint.
CNN exposed the scientist’s recent situation on the 18th.
Jones surrendered on the 18th after the police issued an arrest warrant. Jones, who was released on bail, told the media that he tested positive for the novel coronavirus.
According to Florida law enforcement, Jones is accused of illegal hacking into computer users, computer systems, computer networks and electronic equipment.
Police have issued an arrest warrant, and Jones surrendered to the Leon County Police Department on January 18.
After being released on bail on the afternoon of the 18th, Jones walked out of the police station wearing a mask and told the media that he had tested positive for the novel coronavirus.
Jones left accompanied by his lawyer and did not comment any more.
Jones tweeted two days ago (January 16) that he intended to surrender to the police.” To protect my family from the ongoing violence of the police, and to prove that I am ready for any of their slanders against me, I will voluntarily surrender to Florida State Police on the 18th.”
Jones, a former data scientist at the Florida Department of Health, was fired in May 2020. Jones herself revealed that the reason for her dismissal was her refusal to tamper with epidemic data.
Florida officials said that Jones was fired because of network tracking and hacking into information systems.
In November 2020, the police tracked Jones down and sent an anonymous message, saying: “Is it necessary to sacrifice another 17,000 people to tell the truth? You know it’s wrong to do so.
You don’t have to participate in it. Be a hero and tell the truth before it’s too late.” Subsequently, on December 7, 2020, Jones’ home was searched by police and his computer, mobile phone and memory card were confiscated.
According to U.S. media reports, in April 2020, the governor of Florida falsely claimed that the novel coronavirus did not cause the death of young people under the age of 25, but the chairman of the state committee said that in the spring of 2020, the state’s health department asked the medical examination committee not to publish the list of coronavirus deaths.
Despite Florida’s growing coronavirus, the governor has refused to enforce orders to wear masks and maintain social distancing.
The Florida government has tried to minimize bad news about the coronavirus, according to the South Florida Sun Sentinel survey.
It is reported that the police have found some confidential documents during a search of Jones’ room.
Legal experts say that if these documents violate the rules for sharing internal information, they may be used as evidence of Jones’ illegality.
Law enforcement said it is investigating whether Jones had unauthorized access to state information systems in order to require officials to disclose data on coronavirus deaths.
