A California man who pledged support for Islamic State was allegedly planning a Christmas attack on San Francisco’s Pier 39, according to FBI officials, the Los Angeles Times reports.
Everitt Aaron Jameson, a tow truck driver and former U.S. Marine, was put in police custody after he told an undercover FBI employee he believed to be a senior leader of the radical group that the popular tourist destination would be an ideal location for a terrorist attack, according to court documents filed Friday.
Videos by PopCulture.com
“We need something along the lines of New York or San Bernardino,” he allegedly told the FBI, referring to high-impact acts of terror in the cities.
Jameson was looking to obtain an assault rifle, ammunition, powder, tubing and nails from the man he thought to be an ally. Those materials could be used to create a pipe bomb.
His alleged plan was to set off various explosives to “funnel” crowds into a central area where he could inflict other damage, presumably by shooting them, the documents claim.
FBI agents searched Jameson’s home on Wednesday, where they seized firearms and found a note signed by Abdullah abu Everett ibn Gordon al-Amriki. The note, dated Dec. 16, read in part, “I Abdullah Everett ibn Gorfon have committed these acts upon Kuffar, in the name of Dar al Islam, Alluhu Akbar!”
Kuffar is an Arabic word to describe non-Muslim people.
Jameson planned to carry out the attack in response to Islamic State’s recent call for attacks on Western cities around the Christmas holiday.
He was charged with attempting to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization and was scheduled to appear in Fresco’s federal court on Friday.
FBI spokeswoman Katherine Zackel ensured the public that during the course of the FBI’s investigation, the suspect “was under surveillance by law enforcement, and the public was never in imminent danger. However, law enforcement and members of the public must remain vigilant. We ask you to report any suspicious activity to law enforcement.”
If convicted, Jameson could face up to 20 years in prison.
“We are grateful that our hardworking law enforcement partners remain vigilant in protecting our communities, especially during this holiday season,” U.S. Attorney Phillip Talbert said in a statement.
The FBI and San Francisco officials claim that, upon thorough investigation, there are no additional threats to the Bay Area.
