Man charged with plotting a mall attack

A Muslim convert who talked about his desire to wage jihad against civilians was charged in Chicago in a plot to set off hand grenades at a shopping mall at the height of the Christmas rush, authorities said.

Investigators said Derrick Shareef, 22, an American citizen from Rockford, was acting alone and never obtained any grenades. He was arrested when he met with an undercover agent in a parking lot to trade a set of stereo speakers for four hand grenades and a gun, authorities said.

Authorities said Shareef had been under investigation since September, when he told an acquaintance that he wanted “to commit acts of violent jihad against targets in the United States as well as commit other crimes.”