Barry Jonas

Barry Jonas
Senior Research Fellow
Barry Jonas was a prosecutor with the Department of Justice for over 34 years. He spent 19 years as a trial attorney at "Main Justice" in Washington, first prosecuting white collar cases and then, after 9/11, focusing on terrorism cases while with the Counterterrorism Section (CTS) of DOJ’s National Security Division. While with CTS, Barry prosecuted the five individuals for their financial arrangement with Hamas leader Mousa Abu Marzook. Barry was also part of the prosecution team that convicted the Holy Land Foundation for Relief & Development and five of its leaders for providing material support to Hamas. The prosecution remains the largest terrorism financing case brought by DOJ.
In 2010, Barry became an Assistant United States Attorney in Chicago, where he was senior counsel to the National Security and Cybercrime Section. As an AUSA, Barry investigated and prosecuted countless national security cases to include an individual who attempted to blow up a car bomb in downtown Chicago and who attempted to kill an undercover FBI agent; two cousins who attempted to kill over 300 Illinois National Guard members on behalf of ISIS; and an individual who operated an unofficial online ISIS media organization that took directions from official ISIS media. Barry also prosecuted espionage cases to include a spy for China who infiltrated the US military; charged Syrian regime officials for war crimes (only the second time war crimes charges have ever been brought by DOJ); and has investigated cyber intrusions conducted on behalf of foreign governments.
Barry is an adjunct professor at Kent College of Law in Chicago where he co-teaches a national security class. In September 2025, Barry retired from the Department of Justice.