A Florida man has been arrested and charged with plotting to set off a bomb at the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE), according to court documents.
Harun Abdul-Malik Yener is accused of attempting to use an explosive device to damage or destroy a building used in interstate commerce, according the US Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida.
According to the FBI, he allegedly recorded himself saying “I feel like [Osama] Bin Laden” – a reference to the former al-Qaeda leader responsible for the 9/11 attacks on the US.
Federal officials began investigating him in February after receiving a tip that he was keeping bomb-making supplies inside an unlocked storage unit.
Agents searched the facility in Coral Springs and said they discovered “bombmaking sketches, numerous watches with timers, electronic circuit boards and other electronics”, court documents said.
A federal public defender in the Southern District of Florida who has been assigned to represent Mr Yener did not immediately respond to a request for comment.In the documents, investigators said Mr Yener allegedly told an undercover agent last week that he planned to carry out the attack the week before the Thanksgiving holiday, which takes place on 28 November.
“That would be a great hit,” Mr Yener allegedly told an agent, saying the attack in lower Manhattan would be “hella easy”.
He also allegedly conducted numerous internet searches for how to build bombs, and told agents he planned to wear a disguise during the attack and release a recorded message to the media.
Investigators said Mr Yener’s alleged “motivation for bombing the NYSE was to attain a ‘reboot’ and/or ‘reset’ of the United States government”.
Mr Yener is said to have told undercover agents that the explosion would be ‘like a small nuke went off’ and that ‘[a]nything outside’ the building ‘will be wiped out’ and ‘anything inside there would be killed’.
“He allegedly maintained a YouTube channel with videos describing how to make explosives from household items.
Mr Yener, a resident of southern Florida, is homeless, according to court documents.
He appeared in court on Wednesday for the first time and will be detained while he waits for his trial, according to the Associated Press news agency.
The arrest is the latest in the last few months involving US national security.
In October, a man from Afghanistan was arrested for allegedly planning an attack to coincide with election day, which took place earlier this month.
And in August, a Pakistani man was arrested for allegedly plotting to murder US officials on behalf of Iran.