A Topeka, Kansas, man has been charged with plotting to explode a car bomb at a U.S. military base in support of the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS), the Justice Department announced Friday.
John T. Booker, 20, was arrested Friday morning near Manhattan, Kan., as he completed his final plans to detonate the car bomb targeting military personnel at Kansas’s Fort Riley, a Justice statement said.
“The defendant was arrested as part of an FBI investigation, and the device used by the defendant was, in fact, inert,” it said.
{mosads}Booker is alleged to have spent months discussing multiple plans before deciding on a suicide bombing mission, Justice said.
Booker allegedly told someone that he decided on a suicide car bomb so he “couldn’t be captured, all evidence would be destroyed, and he would be guaranteed to hit his target.”
He identified Fort Riley as a good target, “because the post is famous and there are a lot of soldiers stationed there,” the complaint alleges.
Over a period of months, Booker reportedly plotted to construct a car bomb and repeatedly stated he wanted to engage in violent jihad on behalf of ISIS.
“Booker assisted in acquiring components for a vehicle bomb, produced a propaganda video, rented a storage locker to store components for the explosive device, identified Fort Riley as the target and talked about his commitment to trigger the device himself and become a martyr,” the statement said.
The Army has in recent months taken measures to update security at bases around the country, as ISIS has increased calls for lone wolf attackers to hit targets at home.
The FBI said there was never any breach of Fort Riley, nor was the safety or security of the base or its personnel ever at risk.
Booker was charged on one count of attempting to use a weapon of mass destruction, one count of attempting to damage property, and one count of attempting to provide material support to ISIS a designated foreign terrorist organization.
He faces a maximum penalty of life in prison if convicted.
“As alleged in the complaint, John Booker attempted to attack U.S. military personnel on U.S. soil purportedly in the name of ISIL,” said Assistant Attorney General John P. Carlin.
“Thanks to the efforts of the law enforcement community, we were able to safely disrupt this threat to the brave men and women who serve our country,” he said.
“We face a continued threat from individuals within our own borders who may be motivated by a variety of causes,” added U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom. “Anyone who seeks to harm this nation and its people will be brought to justice.”
FBI Evidence Response Teams are executing search warrants related to the case, Justice said.