Trial To Get Underway In Keys Backpack Bomb Case
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KEY WEST (CBSMiami) - Opening statements are scheduled to get underway Monday for a man who reportedly wanted to set off a bomb on a Key West beach as a show of solidarity with the Islamic State militant group.
Harlem Suarez, 25, is charged with attempting to use a weapon of mass destruction and supporting terrorism.
The FBI says Suarez told an informant he wanted to detonate a backpack bomb on a Key West beach. He was arrested in 2015 after accepting an inert device from an FBI employee posing as an extremist.
Prosecutors say Suarez drew inspiration from the Islamic State for his alleged plot.
Prosecutors say the trial is expected to last about two weeks. Suarez faces a lengthy prison term if convicted.
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