Pakistani Teenager Pleads Guilty in Plot to Bomb Sites in Florida
A Pakistani teenager pleaded guilty Thursday in connection with a plot to bomb power stations and a National Guard armory in South Florida as part of a holy war, prosecutors said.
Imran Mandhai, 19, was convicted on a single count of conspiracy to damage and destroy property with fire and explosives.
In July, Shueyb Mossa Jokhan, a 24-year-old U.S. citizen charged in the same conspiracy, pleaded guilty to the same charge. Each faces as much as 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
The indictment alleged they were plotting an Islamic holy war.
It said they scouted locations, including electrical power stations in the Miami area and a National Guard armory in Hollywood. The bombings were to be followed by a list of demands to the U.S. government and other governments, according to court documents.
Mandhai hoped to buy AK-47 assault rifles and other weapons, night vision equipment, stun guns, pepper spray, smoke grenades and other military equipment, the indictment said.
Prosecutors said the two discussed targets such as the Israeli consulate in Miami, Jewish-owned businesses and Jewish community centers, and even mentioned Mt. Rushmore as a potential target.
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