The FBI today arrested a 20-year-old Ohio man for allegedly plotting to carry out a terrorist attack on the US Capitol.
Christopher
Lee Cornell, of Green Township, was taken into custody by federal
agents on charges of attempting to kill a government official and
possession of a firearm in furtherance of attempted crime of violence,
according to a criminal complaint.
Government
documents filed in the case indicate that the 20-year-old Cornell, who
also goes by the name Raheel Mahrus Ubaydah, allegedly planned to
detonate pipe bombs in the Capitol and then open fire on people fleeing
the building in the aftermath of the blasts.
According to
government documents, Cornell first showed up on the FBI's radar
several months ago after he sent out a tweet in support of violent
'jihad.'
An
investigation into Cornell's activities has revealed videos and other
online statements backing the deadly extremist organization ISIS, also
known as ISIL.
First picture: Cornell, who also goes
by the name
Raheel Mahrus Ubaydah, is pictured here in a booking photo
released by Butler County Sheriff's Office Wednesday night
According
to the FBI, the 20-year-old also exchanged messages with an undercover
federal informant about his desire to launch Islamic State-style attacks
on US soil.
'I
believe that we should just wage jihad under our own orders and plan
attacks and everything,' Cornell allegedly wrote in August. 'I believe
we should meet up and make our own group in alliance with the Islamic
State here and plan operations ourselves.'
In
instant messages to the undercover informant, Cornell indicated that
while he did not have support to conduct an attack on behalf of any
group, 'we already got a thumbs up from the Brothers over there and
Anwar al Awlaki before his martyrdom and many others.'
Awlaki, an American-born radical imam, was killed by US forces in a drone strike in Yemen in 2011.
The
Islamic State militant organization, which broke with the al-Qaida
network and took control of large parts of Iraq and Syria, has drawn
jihadi fighters from across the Muslim world and Europe. It has been
blamed for violence such as the beheadings of foreign captives including
a former U.S. soldier turned aid worker and two American journalists.
Government
officials say Cornell’s suspected terror plot was in the early stages
of development; he planned to carry out an attack in December 2015.
The FBI says the public was never in danger and he never made it to Washington.
Cornell's
arrest early Wednesday morning came at the Point Blank store where he
allegedly purchased a pair of M-15 semi-automatic rifles.
The alleged
activities of Cornell highlight the continued interest of U.S.-based
violent extremists to support designated foreign terrorist organizations
overseas, such as ISIL, by committing terrorist acts in the United
States,’ stated a bulletin issued by the FBI and the Department of
Homeland Security within hours of Cornell's arrest.
‘Terrorist
group members and supporters will almost certainly continue to use
social media platforms to disseminate English language violent extremist
messages.’
A yearbook photo obtained by WKRC shows Cornell in 2012 as a senior at Oak Hills High School.
Speaking
to the station following his son's arrest, Cornell's father, John
Cornell, called the 20-year-old 'Mama's boy' and a 'homebody' who spent
much of his time alone.
According
to Mr Cornell, his son took up interest in Islam only about two months
ago - a timeline that clearly contradict's the FBI's narrative.
Role model: Cornell allegedly told the
informant that radical cleric Anwar al-Awlaki had been in favor of
terrorist attack before his 'martyrdom'
A
criminal complaint alleges that the FBI informant began supplying
agents with information about Cornell last year in return for favorable
treatment in an unrelated criminal case.
According
to the informant's legal testimony, Cornell researched the construction
of pipe bombs, saved up money to purchase semi-automatic rifles and 600
rounds of ammunition and made plans to travel to Washington on a
reconnaissance mission.
In
a meeting with the informant in November - one of four the two had last
fall - Cornell said he considered members of Congress to be his
enemies, according to the documents.
Senator
Rob Portman, a Republican from Ohio, praised the FBI and other law
enforcement agencies for their work 'to thwart this potential terrorist
act. It is an important reminder of the very real threat that radical
Islam continues to pose to the homeland.'
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