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Florida Department of Health data scientist turns herself in

Rebekah Jones
Posted at 4:59 PM, Jan 16, 2021
and last updated 2021-01-18 07:04:44-05

UPDATE (6:40 AM)--Fox 4 has learned that Rebekah Jones has turned herself in. Jones is now at the Leon County detention Center.

According to records, Jones is charged with Property Crimes Access Computer Electronic Device WO Authority.

Jones is set to make a court appearance later today.

view full warrant here.

This story is breaking and will be updated with the latest information as we receive it.

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Florida Department of Health data analyst Rebekah Jones says she's turning herself in to police.

She made the announcement on Twitter after a warrant was issued for her arrest.

"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," she tweeted.

On Dec. 7, investigators executed a search warrant at Jones’ home. According to investigators, back in November, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) received a complaint from the FL Department of Health (FDOH) that someone hacked into a secure site on its website and sent an anonymous message calling for employees to speak up about FDOH’s handling of COVID-19. Investigators, according to FDLE, tracked the computer used in the hack to Jones’ home. Jones maintains her innocence and says she didn’t send the message.

Jones made national headlines in May when she went public with accusations that FDOH fired her when she said, she was asked but refused to manipulate COVID case numbers around the same time Governor DeSantis announced plans to reopen businesses in the state.

Since her termination, Jones has not been silent and has started reporting COVID case data she collects on her own to a website she created after firing. She’s also a frequent critic on social media about how Florida and Governor Desantis is handling COVID cases across the state.