Quazi Mohammad Rezwanul Ahsan Nafis was arrested after an attempt to detonate what he believed was a 1,000-pound bomb, authorities said Wednesday.
He is expected to make an initial court appearance Wednesday at a federal courthouse in Brooklyn.
Authorities say the public was not in danger because the suspect never acquired the necessary material for a bomb.
The "explosives that he allegedly sought and attempted to use had been rendered inoperable by law enforcement and posed no threat to the public," according to a statement from U.S. Attorney Loretta E. Lynch
He faces charges of "attempting to use a weapon of mass destruction and attempting to provide material support to al Qaeda."
His arrest came as a result of the "culmination of an undercover operation" after he was being monitored by the FBI New York Field Office's Joint Terrorism Task Force, the statement said.
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