A man from Florida was arrested Thursday after trolling online as an Australian supporter of ISIS and planning a bomb attack during Kansas City's 9/11 memorial this coming weekend.
Twenty-year-old Joshua Ryne Goldberg, residing in Orange Park located 15 miles south of Jacksonville, was arrested with regards to disseminating information about explosives, devices used for destruction and other similar weapons of mass destruction, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office, Fox News reported. Goldberg could face up to 20 years in prison if proven guilty.
Goldberg used online usernames such as "Australi Witness" and "AusWitness" to advertise Jihad worldwide. The FBI became aware of his presence when his Twitter account encouraged people to attack "with your weapons, bombs or knives" in Texas even before two men tried to attack the Muhammad Art Exhibit and Contest, according to CNN.
Goldberg started talking to an informant for the FBI last July on how to create bombs. He told the informant how to create bombs using materials available at home such as a pressure cooker, nails and even rat poison. These instructions on how to create homemade bombs were common among Islamic terrorist groups like Al Qaeda and have been popularized through the digital magazine "Inspire."
The Florida man started to plan a 9/11 bomb attack in August with the informant. Goldberg allegedly discussed five website links that handed out instructions to create other explosives and bombs on Aug. 19, and the FBI started surveillance missions in Goldberg's house the next day. He had been discussing target areas where to perform the attacks and finally decided to do it in Kansas City, Mo. where a 9/11 Memorial will be held on Sunday, Sept. 13, according to the Inquistr.
A judge issued a warrant of arrest, leading to the FBI's Joint Terrorism Task Force arresting Goldberg on Thursday.
