by William Crum
In a news conference today, U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom and Assistant Attorney General for National Security John P. Carlin announced that John T. Booker, Jr., age 20, of Topeka, Kan., was charged in a criminal complaint with one count of attempting to use a weapon of mass destruction, one count of attempting to damage property by means of an explosive and one count to provide material support to the Islamic state of Iraq.
Booker was arrested this morning near Manhattan, Kan., as he completed his final preparations to detonate a vehicle bomb targeting U.S. military personnel. The news conference was held at the federal building in Kansas City, Kan.
“We face a continued threat from individuals within our own borders who may be motivated by a variety of causes,” Grissom said. “Anyone who seeks to harm this nation and its people will be brought to justice. I also want to thank the FBI, the KBI, the Kansas Highway Patrol and other police and sheriffs organizations for their assistance.”
John T. Booker, also known as Mohammed Abdullah Hassan, was charged today with attempting without a lawful authority to use a weapon of mass destruction, which is defined by title 18 under United States code section 921, against property that is owned, leased or used by a department or agency of the United States.
Update: Booker had his initial appearance this afternoon in U.S. District Court in Topeka. The court advised him of the charges against him, and his rights in respect to those charges. The defendant waived his right to a detention hearing and the court remanded the defendant to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending trial. He is represented by the federal public defender’s office.
