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Harun Abdul-Malik Yener, a Florida man, has been arrested for allegedly planning to detonate a bomb at the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE).
Court documents reveal that he faces charges of attempting to use an explosive device to damage or destroy a building involved in interstate commerce, according to the US Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida, BBC reports.
The FBI initiated an investigation in February after a tip-off indicated that Yener was storing bomb-making materials in an unsecured storage unit.
A search of the facility in Coral Springs uncovered “bomb-making sketches, numerous watches with timers, electronic circuit boards and other electronics,” the documents state.
Court papers suggest Yener recorded himself saying, “I feel like [Osama] Bin Laden,” referencing the infamous al-Qaeda leader.
He also allegedly told an undercover agent last week that he planned the attack before the Thanksgiving holiday on 28 November, calling the bombing “hella easy” and a “great hit.”
Yener reportedly carried out extensive internet searches on bomb construction and revealed plans to wear a disguise during the attack, as well as release a recorded message to the media.
Investigators claim his motivation was to achieve a “reboot” or “reset” of the US government.
Describing the scale of the attack, Yener allegedly said the explosion would be “like a small nuke went off,” and that “anything outside” the building “will be wiped out,” with “anything inside there would be killed.”
He is also said to have maintained a YouTube channel teaching how to make explosives from household items.
A federal public defender representing Yener has not yet commented. Yener, who is homeless, appeared in court on Wednesday and will remain in custody pending trial.
His arrest follows a series of national security-related incidents, including an October arrest of an Afghan man allegedly plotting an attack on election day, and a Pakistani man arrested in August for planning to murder US officials.
