Ohio man pleads guilty in plot to attack Capitol

An Ohio man on Monday pleaded guilty to an attempted plot to attack the U.S. Capitol with bombs and guns and kill government employees.

{mosads}Christopher Cornell, 22, who entered his plea in U.S. District Court in Cincinnati, was charged with attempted murder of government officials, possession of firearm to commit a crime and attempting to provide material support to Islamic militants.

Cornell’s attorney said that the plea was in the best interest of his client, according to Reuters. The three individual charges carry sentences of between 5 and 20 years in prison. Prosecutors said they’d pursue a maximum sentence of 30 years at his Oct. 31 sentencing.

Cornell was arrested and charged last year in the case. He allegedly bought guns and ammunition and researched how to mike a pipe bomb, according to the initial complaint.

The Department of Justice said Monday that the plea agreement stated that in late 2014 Cornell planned and attempted to travel to Washington, D.C., to attack the Capitol during President Obama’s State of the Union address in January 2015.

According to his plea agreement, Cornell admitted researching weapons and bomb-making instructions online as well as researching potential targets in the D.C. area. He “possessed two semi-automatic rifles and approximately 600 rounds of ammunition,” the DOJ said.

–This report was updated at 1:25 p.m.