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CHICAGO: Man arrested in alleged plot to set off grenades
CHICAGO - A 22-year-old man who authorities said talked about a desire to wage "jihad" against civilians was arrested by federal terrorism investigators on charges of plotting to set off hand grenades in a shopping mall. Derrick Shareef of Rockford was taken into custody Wednesday as he met in a parking lot with an undercover agent and attempted to trade a pair of stereo speakers for four hand grenades and a handgun, officials said today.Officials said he 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." The acquaintance immediately informed the FBI, officials said. "Once the threat Shareef posed was detected by the Joint Terrorism Task Force, his activities and movements were under constant surveillance and there was no imminent risk to the public," said Robert D. Grant, special agent in charge of the Chicago office of the FBI. Officials said Shareef was acting alone and not in concert with any terrorist group. In an affidavit filed with the complaint, Shareef said he planned to set off the grenades in garbage cans at the CherryVale Mall in Rockford. It said that in November Shareef and the acquaintance who was working with the FBI went through the mall discussing possible spots to attack. According to the affidavit, a number of conversations between the two men were recorded by the acquaintance. Shareef was charged with one count of attempting to damage or destroy a building by fire or explosion and one count of attempting to use a weapon of mass destruction. According to the affidavit, Shareef met in the parking lot with the undercover agent who described the hand grenades as "pineapples" and showed the agent stereo speakers that he would trade for them. Posted by: Fred 2006-12-09 |
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