Florida man arrested in alleged plot to bomb New York Stock Exchange
FBI agents have arrested a Florida man in connection with an alleged plot to bomb the New York Stock Exchange, according to charging documents unsealed on Wednesday.
South Florida resident Harun Abdul-Malik Yener was charged with attempted use of an explosive to damage or destroy a building used in interstate commerce, according to court documents filed in the U.S. District Court Southern District of Florida.
The FBI began investigating Yener in February after receiving a tip he was storing bomb-making schematics in an unlocked storage unit in Coral Springs, Florida. Agents obtained a search warrant and found numerous watches with timers, electronic circuit boards and other electronics in the unit, according to court documents. Court Watch was the first media outlet to report on the arrest.
Yener told a confidential informant he wanted to join a militia. He then met with undercover FBI agents, court documents said, and asked them for photos of the New York Stock Exchange and other items, including explosive materials, to help him target the right locations to plant a bomb.
"There is one place that would be hella easy… the stock exchange, that would be a great hit. Tons of people would support it. They would see it and think dude, this guy makes sense, they are [profanity] robbing us. So that's perfect," he allegedly told an undercover operative last month.
"I'd even take a trip up there to like, set it up, New York," he allegedly said. The affidavit said he "planned on wearing a disguise" and was going to distribute a recorded message to the press outlining the reasons behind the planned attack.
According to the affidavit, he told agents the bombing would be "like a small nuke went off" and that "[a]nything outside" the building "will be wiped out" and "anything inside there would be killed."
Investigators say Yener conducted numerous online searches and shared at least 10 videos detailing how to construct explosives and fireworks from household items, as well as videos on how to make triggers associated with traps and explosives.
FBI agents said Yener's "motivation for bombing the NYSE was to attain a 'reboot' and/or 'reset' of the United States government."
Yener also allegedly told agents he considered joining ISIS but decided not to in 2015 because he believed "ISIS would not ultimately succeed in achieving their objectives."
By Nov. 12, investigators say Yener made audio recordings of the demands and reasons behind the attack. "I feel like Bin Laden," he allegedly said.
There have been several other arrests in recent months involving various alleged schemes to attack U.S. officials and landmarks.
In October, the FBI arrested a man from Afghanistan who was allegedly planning an Election Day terrorist attack in the U.S.
The FBI arrested a Pakistani national in August with alleged ties to Iran for allegedly plotting a murder-for-hire scheme targeting U.S. government officials and politicians.