Sentencing Memorandum For Trump-Supporting Domestic Terrorist Patrick Stein
Sentencing Memorandum For Trump-Supporting Domestic Terrorist Patrick Stein
Sentencing Memorandum For Trump-Supporting Domestic Terrorist Patrick Stein
SENTENCING MEMORANDUM
On April 18, 2018, a jury convicted Patrick Stein of Conspiracy to Use a Weapon
of Mass Destruction and Conspiracy to Violate Civil Rights. These convictions were
based largely upon voluminous recordings of Patrick discussing his desire to kill Muslim
undercover agents. Patrick Stein now stands convicted and facing sentencing.
I. INTRODUCTION
For one who only listened to the trial evidence, one might think Patrick Stein’s
story begins and ends with hate. But Patrick’s story does not begin with his sentencing,
When Patrick was born, his mother was in the throes of alcoholism—a battle she
would not overcome until Patrick was over 11 years old. For the first few years of his
life, Patrick was—per other members of his family—the kid tasked with “keeping a beer
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in mom’s hand.” Perhaps unsurprisingly, when he was 10, Patrick had his own first
Alcohol got a grip on Patrick. When he was only 14, Patrick was placed in
inpatient drug and alcohol treatment for the first time. Over the next 30 years, this pattern
receive substance abuse treatment—both in- and outpatient—several times in his life. He
would ultimately receive mental health treatment, including prescriptions for ADHD,
Patrick’s struggle with dependency and mental health issues contributed to the
failure of two marriages, the estrangement of his sons, and an inability to find connection
or success in work, and even placed him in a situation that caused Patrick to become the
victim of a violent crime while working as a truck driver.1 The destruction wrought in
Patrick’s life was consistent, continuous, and contributory to the story of this case.
The patterns of failure and strife in Patrick’s life consistently led him to seek
acceptance and to belong to organizations with purpose. In the mid-2000s, Patrick sought
to establish a biofuels plant that he could run and operate with, and on behalf of, his
family and outside investors. When that failed along with the economy in 2008, Patrick
1
See Paragraph 102 of the presentencing report.
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was unmoored and struggling. He became consumed by fear and anger, seeking to fill the
holes in his life with substances and by pursuing duty and “brotherhood” in an
Rather than try to use Dan Day to talk Patrick Stein out of his fearful beliefs, or
encourage him to use nonviolent means to address his fears about Muslims, rather than
tell him it was ok not to pursue action, rather than have agents knock on Patrick’s door
and interview him to scare him and disrupt his thinking, the FBI chose to use Dan Day to
reinforce every one of Patrick Stein’s beliefs, his rhetoric, and his hate, for their own
ends.
And in Patrick Stein, they found the perfect, vulnerable target. Patrick had
relapsed into alcohol use following his most recent inpatient treatment in Prescott,
Arizona in late 2013/early 2014. His relapse continued until at least the beginning of his
engagement with the Kansas Security Force, and he used methamphetamine regularly for
at least 5 months after meeting Dan Day (and likely further along into the conspiracy for
which he was convicted). In fact, the FBI suspected Patrick was using methamphetamine
regularly well into his interactions with Dan Day. In an instant message, Agent Amy
Kuhn wrote regarding Patrick that “[h]e is kind of all over the place right now, I’m
guessing he is using more meth causing him to be all over.” (FBI Instant Message from
Agent Amy Kuhn to Agent Mark Engholm, May 13, 2016, at 3:01 p.m.). Patrick’s
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vulnerability made him subject to influence, and the government’s uncritical acceptance
and endorsement of all of Patrick’s views, through the “yes men” of Dan Day and UCE
Dan Day and UCE Brian pushed, prodded, and encouraged Patrick to engage in
and continue a conspiracy to use a weapon of mass destruction, as well as to violate the
civil rights of Muslim residents of Garden City. And while his decision to engage in that
conspiracy was wrong, and although he has been convicted of that conspiracy, his
sentence should reflect the reality of that conspiracy, not the rhetoric of the government.
The reality of the conspiracy is that, at the time of Patrick’s arrest, it had no bomb. It had
in its possession a total of 1 gram of actual explosive material. It had not acquired the
At its best—or worst—the conspiracy was at least 1 week away from obtaining
some type of device supplied by the government. It was about 1 month away from any
operational plan. And at the moment of Patrick’s arrest, the conspiracy had not settled on
the means, the personnel, the time, the tactics, or the reality of an actual attack. The
These arguments are not made to “relitigate” the trial. Patrick has been convicted
of conspiracy. And he will be sentenced for conspiracy. But Patrick should be sentenced
for the “reality” of his offenses—largely rhetorical—and not as if the object of the
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offense had happened in reality. Talking about a bomb is different than planning to
Possessing a bomb is different than placing a bomb. Placing a bomb is different than
detonating a bomb.
Pursuant to 18 USC § 3553(a), Patrick is to be sentenced for what he did, not what
The primary directive of federal sentencing is that any sentence imposed must be
“sufficient, but not greater than necessary,” to accomplish the purposes of punishment.
a court may impose a non-Guidelines sentence (1) “on the basis of traditional departure
grounds,” (2) “because the Guidelines sentence itself fails to properly reflect § 3553(a)
States v. Rita, 127 S. Ct. 2456, 2465 (2007). “[T]he sentencing court does not enjoy the
benefit of a legal presumption that the Guidelines sentence should apply.” Id.
In United States v. Angel-Guzman, 506 F.3d 1007 (10th Cir. 2007), Judge
McConnell cautioned that when the district court is considering what sentence to impose,
“[t]he Sentencing Guidelines range does not apply, even presumptively, until the court
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18 U.S.C. § 3553(a) requires the Court to “impose a sentence sufficient, but not
greater than necessary” to achieve the goals laid out in Subsection (a)(2), which states a
sentence should reflect the seriousness of the offense, promote respect for the law,
provide just punishment, deter criminal conduct, protect the public, and provide the
sentence, the statute further requires the Court to consider a number of factors, including:
“(1) the nature and circumstances of the offense and the history and characteristics of the
defendant; (2) the need for the sentence imposed [to accomplish the (a)(2) goals set out
above]; (3) the kinds of sentences available; (4) []the sentencing range established . . . in
the guidelines; (5) any pertinent policy statement . . . issued by the Sentencing
Commission; (6) the need to avoid unwarranted sentence disparities among defendants
with similar records who have been found guilty of similar conduct; and (7) the need to
Sentencing requires “nuance and careful discrimination between and among cases
and defendants based on the factors enumerated in 18 U.S.C. § 3553. That nuance is
“Memorandum Opinion and Order on Sentencing,” (Doc. 1920), at 21, July 18, 2018
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sentence of life imprisonment. 18 U.S.C. § 2332a (a)(4). The statutory sentence of the
civil rights violation is not more than ten (10) years. 18 U.S.C. § 241. Patrick Stein
respectfully submits that the 3553(a) factors support a sentence substantially less than
life. A sentence of no more than 15 years, with a lengthy postrelease supervision period,
is “sufficient” to accomplish the goals of the statute, and a term of longer imprisonment is
1. General Circumstances
Despite nearly four (4) weeks of testimony, including that of FBI Special Agent
Amy Kuhn, and paid FBI Confidential Human Source Dan Day, the majority of evidence
consisted of audio recordings of the defendants discussing the use of explosive devices at
the Mary Street apartments in Garden City, Kansas. Dan Day made these recordings as
part of his “undercover” persona for the FBI while pretending to be a member of the
conspiracy.
Patrick Stein was afraid of the Muslim refugees that had come to live in the
western Kansas towns of Liberal, Dodge City, and particularly Garden City, Kansas. As
trial testimony showed, Patrick conducted surveillance, from a distance, on the African
Mall in Dodge City. During cross-examination, CHS Dan Day testified that Mr. Stein
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told him that the surveillance was conducted during the day and using binoculars (Dan
Day, Trial Tr. 4/3/18 (real-time) at p. 256-57) . Patrick Stein also participated in
surveillance with Jason Crick’s militia group at the Somali mall in Garden City in
Patrick was afraid of Muslims because of what he read about them on the internet
and the videos he watched on YouTube. Dan Day testified “I heard all kinds of YouTube
videos that he watched, not just Muslims, and that's the reason that he didn't like
Muslims.” Id. at 287. Patrick’s knowledge of the Quran, the Muslim holy book, came
directly from the internet and conservative talk-show hosts such as Sean Hannity and
Michael Savage. Patrick himself had never read the Quran, nor had he participated in a
All of Patrick’s exposure to the Muslim religion has been negative—by choice,
through the media to which he exposed himself, and by government design through Dan
Day and the UCE. Dan Day provided false information to Patrick and the others about
Somali men wearing expensive suits, (Dan Day, Trial Tr. 4/3/18 (real-time) at p. 105,
242), driving new vehicles, (9-4-16 Phone call between Dan Day and Patrick Stein), and
overtaking apartment buildings (Lula Harris, Trial Tr. 3/26/18 (real-time) at p. 329). Dan
Day also implied that the residents of the Mary Street apartments were involved in some
form of illegal trafficking—whether of guns, (Dan Day, Trial Tr. 4/3/18 (real-time) at p.
104), drugs (Id. at 105), or humans (Id.). All this information was untrue, and it was all
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calculated to stoke Patrick’s fear and thus hatred of Muslims in general and the residents
When Patrick Stein was arrested, the total amount of actual explosive material
possessed among all three co-defendants was approximately 1 gram (Dr. Jack Barrow,
Trial Tr. 4/9/18 (real-time) at p. 14, 32, 45, 69, 71-72; Dr. Jason Miller, Trial Tr. 4/5/18
(real-time) at p. 270). This quantity had been produced after months of talk and planning.
At worst, when Patrick was arrested, he was about one week away from having
some kind of “explosive device” created from his inert, non-explosive urea, despite there
being no evidence he could have created it himself, had even tried, or even knew how to
do it. Further, even upon the delivery of the fictional “bomb” to be provided by the UCE
in this case, Patrick would have been, at best, over 3 weeks away from any theoretical
attack.
The “attack” upon which the government builds its sentencing case is entirely
speculative. To punish someone for the characteristics of what a theoretical attack over a
counterfactual as assuming the attack would never have actually happened. In other
words, if the government gets to fill in the gaps between the arrest and the attack with
speculation as to the actual follow-through, it is equally fair for the court to consider
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speculation of things that would have disrupted actual follow-through or changed the
So, for instance, there are questions and details that were never discussed among
the co-defendants about carrying out an actual attack on an actual place against actual
people at an actual date and time. To answer operational questions about an actual attack,
Further, there are questions about external factors that could have intervened to
prevent an actual attack, even assuming operational questions were answered. To answer
these questions about external forces regarding an actual attack, the government must
speculate.
Why does this matter? Because a sentence, in this case, should reflect the
https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2006/10/prophetic-justice/305234/
(accessed October 23, 2018). While the danger of such a speculative endeavor can be
mitigated in prosecutions of stings for drug crimes, as drug crimes are typically “common
and oft-repeated behaviors,” in “terrorism” cases, the actual risk and behavior is
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“exceedingly rare.” Jesse Norris, “Why the FBI and the Courts Are Wrong About
Entrapment and Terrorism,” 84:5 MISSISSIPPI L.J. 1257, 1322 (2015). Thus:
Drug . . . stings are meant to ensnare people who have already habitually
engaged in these crimes but have eluded detection. Terrorism stings, in
contrast, are meant to stop people who would have engaged in terrorism in
the future. This makes all the difference. In the drug context, for example, a
defendant’s immediate willingness to sell drugs to an undercover informant
is a strong indicator that he was in the habit of selling drugs. . . In the case of
terrorism, however, . . . the chance that a particular person, even one who
holds robustly pro-terrorist views, will commit a terrorist attack is
extraordinarily low.
Id. at 1322-23. Thus, a mitigated sentence can be used to minimize the risks associated
To be clear, the questions above are not guilt questions—the defendants’ words
and expressions of agreement, along with the limited actions they took, led a jury to
convict them of conspiracy. The questions are, however, circumstance, seriousness, and
danger questions. This case is largely a rhetorical case—about words. The government,
from the beginning of their opening, started not with actions, but with words. (See
cockroaches got to go, period. That was a comment that defendant Patrick Stein made . . .
.”). The words spoken by the Patrick Stein were plentiful, violent, hateful, and
consistently shared among the group. As the Court noted in an earlier hearing, Mr. Stein
The actions taken by Patrick Stein, however, were small, isolated, hidden, not
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sometimes not undertaken at all, disorganized, ad hoc, unplanned, insignificant, left a lot
to do, and largely reflected his inability to actually accomplish anything of meaning,
particularly without the help of the FBI. The sentence should reflect that fact.
Further, the actions not taken by the FBI reveal their true belief about the
dangerousness of Patrick Stein. At the outset, the FBI never intervened to tell Patrick to
“knock it off,” even before he had begun “organization mode.” The government mocked
that notion in court, but in reality, it is a strategy used both in other cases and districts and
in this district. The FBI never put Patrick under full-time surveillance. They never
monitored, in real-time, a GPS tracker on Patrick. They never surveilled the mosque, or
warned the mosque, or warned local law enforcement or local Muslim leaders or the
apartment owners. This despite the fact that Patrick Stein had supposedly wanted to just
go “kick in doors” and start shooting and could have done so anytime he wanted.
Even when they thought the group “had everything they needed” (Dan Day, Trial
Tr. 4/2/18 (real-time) at p. 32, 126, 154); (Dan Day, Trial Tr. 4/3/18 (real-time) at p. 217-
18) (Amy Kuhn, Trial Tr. 4/10/18 (real-time) at p. 198, 204, 241) to make a bomb
“within hours,” (Dr. Jack Barrow, Trial Tr. 4/9/18 (real-time) at p. 112-13), the FBI chose
not to arrest Patrick Stein. Rather, they decided to leave him out, un-surveilled and un-
monitored, and the community un-warned. They continued to send in Dan Day, an
untrained paid informant, to do nothing other than continue to wear a wire and
completely agree with the defendants, to “maintain his persona.” Even later, they chose
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not to arrest any of the defendants, but rather to introduce a UCE to create more evidence
All of these observations are made not to criticize the FBI’s choices, but rather to
note that the FBI’s choices were based on a real-time assessment of the real danger of the
defendants. Either the FBI concluded that the defendants posed no real, imminent danger
to the public and thus were safe to leave un-arrested, or they decided to dangle the public
as bait so they could get more and sexier charges. If the defendants were truly, to the
FBI’s knowledge, hours away from being able to make their own bomb, the defendants
must not have really wanted to make their own bomb because they never did.
In reality, the timeline for the defendants obtaining their own explosives was long.
After months of talking and weeks of work, the defendants had managed to have in their
possession at the time of arrest a total of 1 gram of explosive material. After the
introduction of the UCE, the FBI accelerated that timeline to 1 week for a completed
bomb, even though Patrick Stein provided inert urea instead of the much more volatile
ammonium nitrate—apparently not even understanding the difference. The FBI filled in
all the gaps in Patrick’s knowledge, wherewithal, and ability with a deus ex machina, in
the form of Brian, that solved all of the problems with the “real danger” narrative the
government was trying to sell. The acceleration of the timeline, and the resulting
perception of danger was artificial and speculative and should be considered as such.
3. 2016
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18 USC § 3553(a) requires the court to consider the circumstances of the offense
when crafting an appropriate sentence. Those circumstances must include the backdrop to
this case. 2016 was “lit.” The court cannot ignore the circumstances of one of the most
in modern history, driven in large measure by the rhetorical China shop bull who is now
our president.
Much has been written about Trump’s election, but two things are relevant to the
time period surrounding this case. First, almost no one thought Trump was going to win .
Second, Trump’s appeal as the voice of a lost and ignored white, working-class set of
voters (Patrick Stein) is the connection most often cited for his ultimately surprising
victory.
This matters for two reasons. First, Trump’s brand of rough-and-tumble verbal
pummeling heightened the rhetorical stakes for people of all political persuasions. A
during the election. A person, like Patrick, who would often be at a 7 during a normal
day, might “go to 11.” See SPINAL TAP. That climate should be taken into account when
evaluating the rhetoric that formed the basis of the government’s case.
Second, Patrick Stein was an early and avid supporter for Donald Trump. His
connection to Donald Trump was so complete and long-standing that the surprising win
cannot be ignored when evaluating the actual danger or likelihood of an actual attack.
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Trump’s win changed everything, and it is reasonable to speculate that it would have
changed things among the defendants as well. The urgency for action would be gone. The
feeling of a losing battle would be gone. The conspiracies, in part, would be disproven as
the transition from Obama to Trump took place. It is logical to conclude that the
discussed attack would never have happened in the world that existed post-Trump.
In their book Why We Hate, authors Jack Levin and Gordana Rabrenovic describe
Jack Levin & Gordana Rabrenovic, Why We Hate 25-26 (2004) (Hereinafter “Why We
Hate”).
Levin and Rabrenovic also describe the language used in hate-motivated crimes
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for blacks, the term gook has, for example, been employed in a long history
of supporting wars waged against Asians by the United States.
Why We Hate at 35-36. As this Court is well aware, in this case, the terms used were
These opening paragraphs of Why We Hate read like a synopsis of Patrick Stein’s
pre-sentencing report, which contains an accurate and detailed report of Patrick’s history
and personal characteristics, thus eliminating the need to report such information here.
C. Goals of Sentencing
i. The need for the sentence imposed to reflect the seriousness of the offense, to
promote respect for the law, and to provide just punishment for the offense.
Patrick Stein does not deny the seriousness of his offense but respectfully suggests
that a 15-year sentence with at least 10 years of supervised release would adequately
reflect the seriousness of the offense, promote respect for the law and provide just
punishment. If he were sentenced to 15 years, Patrick Stein will have spent about half of
his remaining life in prison upon his release, a strong signal of the seriousness of the
offense. See United States v. Amawi, 695 F.3d 457, 488 (6th Cir. 2012) (“[I]t was
reasonable for the district court to credit the fact that if he serves his entire sentence, he
would have spent nearly half of his remaining life in prison when released.”) (brackets
added).
Additionally, Patrick Stein is now a convicted felon and will remain a convicted
felon for the remainder of his life. In the eyes of his community, the state of Kansas, the
country and the government, he is also a terrorist and no matter where he goes after he is
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released he will be under some form of observation. As this Court is aware, serious
ii. The need for the sentence to afford adequate deterrence to criminal conduct and
protect the public from further crimes of the defendant.
A 15-year sentence would also adequately satisfy this statutory factor. Such a
Stein from re-offending and, generally would protect the public from Patrick Stein
committing further crimes. Lengthy supervised release has been held to be additional
This Court has discretion in setting the terms and conditions that Mr. Stein must
required under 18 U.S.C. § 3553(a). United States v. Wright, 747 F.3d 399, 417 (6th Cir.
2014).
Mr. Stein has addressed the guidelines range and policy statements in his
arguments and objections to the PSR. He would apply those arguments here to the extent
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Comparison with other “terrorism” cases throughout the country reveals that
sentences vary widely, but most remain far below the range of life. In fact, as of 2011,
just over 10% of individuals prosecuted and sentenced in association with “terrorism”
Buffoons: The Case for Downward Departure as a Response to Entrapment, 17 Lewis &
Clark L.Rev. 171, 190 (2013). This reflects the reality that:
Id. at 191.
In this case, involving more “incompetent and directionless oafs” than “scheming
Analysis of a variety of cases with similar, or worse, conduct, reveals that defendants are
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the defendant pleaded guilty to conspiracy to murder United States agents and to use
processing office, using automatic weapons and grenades. According to the government,
the defendant wanted to attack when he could get the “largest possible gathering” of
recruits and family members, and his “goal” was to “inspire others with a message of
hate.” Abdul-Latif took steps to plan the attack and purchase weapons, and despite his
guilty plea, “has not disavowed the radical ideology that inspired his attack plot, nor has
he expressed any meaningful remorse.” He was sentenced to 18 years in prison. See Press
Release, United States Attorney’s Office Western District of Washington, “Seattle Man
Sentenced to 18 Years in Prison for Plot to Attack Seattle Military Processing Center,”
man-sentenced-to-18-years-in-prison-for-plot-to-attack-seattle-military-processing-center
recorded conversations about the innocent people he planned to gun down.” In addition,
he actually traveled from Los Angeles to Seattle, with the purpose to secure weapons and
then carry out the attack. He was sentenced to 17 years in prison. See Press Release,
United States Attorney’s Office Western District of Washington, “Former Los Angeles
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Man Sentenced to 17 Years in Prison for Role in Plot to Attack Seattle Military
releases/2013/former-los-angeles-man-sentenced-to-17-years-in-prison-for-role-in-plot-
had acquired chemicals for a bomb attack similar to one that had previously been
in Prison for Planning Terror Attack in Huntsville, Pledging Support for ISIS,” June 20,
2018, at https://whnt.com/2018/06/20/man-sentenced-to-15-years-in-prison-for-planning-
prison after pleading guilty to attempting to damage and destroy a federal building (the
Qaeda, with “the intention that they be used to kill U.S. soldiers overseas.” When told
that his devices had killed soldiers, Ferdaus said he felt “incredible,” and that was
“exactly what [he] wanted.” After multiple deliveries, with confirmed “kill” counts,
Ferdaus made a training video for al Qaeda demonstrating how to construct detonators.
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He also planned to fly an explosives-laden drone into the Pentagon and follow with a
explosives and automatic weapons. During this investigation, FBI UCEs told Ferdaus
“more than 25 times that he did not have to go through with his plan…that there was no
shame in backing out, and that he could turn back at any time.” See Press Release, United
Plotting Attack on Pentagon and U.S. Capitol and Attempting to Provide Detonation
https://archives.fbi.gov/archives/boston/press-releases/2012/man-sentenced-in-boston-
for-plotting-attack-on-pentagon-and-u.s.-capitol-and-attempting-to-provide-detonation-
Where longer sentences are given, even those sentences do not reach life, and they
are often reserved for more completed acts or more immediate dangers.
Portland man, actually placed a “bomb” (provided by the FBI) near a Christmas tree
lighting ceremony with the goal of getting “the most casualties.” United States v.
Mohamud, 843 F.3d 420, 429-30 (9th Cir. 2016). He connected the wires on a “detonator”
and used a cell phone to attempt to “detonate the bomb.” Following his arrest, FBI agents
found videos of past Portland Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremonies, al Qaeda videos,
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references to “jihad,” and plans to “secure [him]self from the FBI.” Id. The jury rejected
his entrapment defense, and he was sentenced to 30 years imprisonment. Id. at 431-32.
and attempt to use weapons of mass destruction for a plot to attack an Air National Guard
Base in New York and to bomb two synagogues in the Bronx. United States v. Cromitie,
727 F.3d 194, 199 (2d Cir. 2013). In that case, the defendant drove and placed “bombs”
in the trunks of pre-parked cars, after surveilling targets and establishing battle plans. Id.
Springfield, Illinois. He parked a truck with a completed “bomb,” activated a timer, and
then called a detonator via cell phone with the hope that he would “kill innocent civilians,
committed public servants, and dedicated first responders.” He also hoped that his bomb
would be big enough to destroy a target across the street—a congressman’s office. He
received 28 years in prison. See Press Release, United States Attorney’s Office Central
District of Illinois, “Illinois Man Admits Plotting to Bomb Federal Courthouse and Is
2
Mr. Cromitie was convicted of: Count 1 – Conspiracy to use a weapon of mass destruction 18 U.S.C. § 2332a;
Count 2-4 – Attempt to use a weapon of mass destruction 18 U.S.C. § 2332a; Count 5 Conspiracy to acquire and use
anti-aircraft missiles 18 U.S.C. § 2332g; Count 6 – Attempt to acquire and use anti-aircraft missiles 18 U.S.C. §
2332g; Count 7 – Conspiracy to kill officers and employees of the United States 18 U.S.C. §§ 1114, 1117; and
Count 8 – Attempt to kill officers and employees of the United States 18 U.S.C. §§ 1114, 2.
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https://archives.fbi.gov/archives/springfield/press-releases/2011/si050911.htm (accessed
October 3, 2018).
support to terrorists for actually attending a “terrorist training camp in Pakistan” and
returning to the United States “to await orders to carry out a terrorist attack.” United
States v. Hayat, 710 F.3d 875, 880 (9th Cir. 2013). He was sentenced to 24 years. Id. at
884.
material support to al Qaeda, providing material support, and conspiring to kill persons in
a foreign country. United States v. Mehanna, 735 F.3d 32, 41 (1st Cir. 2013). He traveled
to Yemen in search of a terrorist training camp and then provided translation services for
articles and materials on pro-al Qaeda propaganda websites. Id. He was sentenced to 210
providing material support to al Qaeda for pledging allegiance and offering services as a
battlefield doctor and a martial arts trainer. United States v. Farhane, 634 F.3d 127, 132-
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murder persons outside the United States and to provide material support to terrorists.
United States v. Jayyousi, 657 F.3d 1085, 1091 (11th Cir. 2011). He and his co-defendants
“formed a support cell linked to radical Islamists worldwide and conspired to send
money, recruits, and equipment overseas.” Id. at 1092. At sentencing, he was listed as a
career offender “because of his extensive criminal history, which included 17 arrests and
a murder conviction.” Id. at 1117. He had received “al-Qaeda training.” Id. Padilla was
initially sentenced to 208 months, a downward departure from his 360-life range. Id. at
1115-16. That sentence was reversed. Id. at 1119. Upon resentencing, he was sentenced
to 21 years, with a supervised release term of 20 years. See Amended Judgment, 04-CR-
(September 9, 2014).
Abu Khatallah, (14-CR-00141 (D. D.C.) the “mastermind” of the Benghazi attacks in
destroying United States property, and using and carrying a semiautomatic weapon
extremist militia and directing the attacks.” Frank Miles, FoxNews.com, “Benghazi
mastermind sentenced to 22 years in prison on federal terrorism charges,” June 27, 2018,
at https://www.foxnews.com/us/benghazi-mastermind-sentenced-to-22-years-in-prison-
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sought a life sentence, while the defendant requested 15 years. Khatallah’s attack—he
was described as a “key plotter”—involved the “first killing of a U.S. ambassador while
in the performance of his duties in nearly 40 years,” as well as 3 other individuals. See
Spencer S. Hsu, Washington Post, “Libyan militia leader gets 22-year sentence in
https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/public-safety/libyan-militia-leader-to-be-
sentenced-in-2012-benghazi-attacks-that-killed-us-ambassador/2018/06/27/55782e5c-
were convicted of conspiracy to kill persons outside the United States, conspiracy to
manufacture of explosives. United States v. Amawi, 695 F.3d 457, 465 (6th Cir. 2012).
Mohammad Amawi, one of the defendants, traveled to Jordan to provide computers and
videos for jihadists going to Iraq. Id. at 467-68. He and his co-defendants “shared an
intent to engage in activities that were aimed at killing or maiming United States military
personnel” and had “provide[d] material support to these activities.” Id. at 477. Each
history of VI, and a guideline sentence of life imprisonment. Id. at 485. The district court
25
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sentences were upheld as substantively reasonable. Id. at 486-87. In that case, the district
court specifically considered that if defendant Amawi served his entire 20-year sentence,
he would have “spent nearly half of his remaining life in prison.” Id. at 488. The court
further found that the lifetime supervised release term would provide additional
In cases where longer terms of imprisonment are imposed, they often involve
actual attacks.
For example, Aafia Siddiqui, (10-3916 (S. D. N.Y.)), was convicted of attempted
murder of United States nationals (among other things) for gaining control of an M-4 rifle
and shooting at American officials in Afghanistan while shouting “I am going to kill all
you Americans” and “death to America” and other expletive-filled threats. United States
v. Siddiqui, 699 F.3d 690, 696-97 (2d Cir. 2012). She was sentenced to 86 years. Id. at
696. She had been previously connected to various attempts to assassinate Afghan
In recent years there have been two cases in Kansas in which a defendant reached
the point of no return, only to be arrested before he could actually push the button on an
The first was the case of Terry Loewen. Mr. Loewen worked at Wichita’s
Eisenhower Airport and devised a plan, with the help of FBI Confidential Human
26
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aircraft while it was on the tarmac and filled with passengers. He was arrested as he tried
to gain access to the airfield with an inert FBI “bomb.” Mr. Loewen did not know that the
FBI and airport officials had deactivated the gate at which he attempted to gain access.
Exhibit A. According to the government, “[t]here is no doubt that, had the plan gone as
[Loewen] expected, hundreds of innocent travelers would have been killed.” United
Defendant’s Motion to Dismiss,” (Doc. 94) March 2, 2015, at 1-2 (brackets and emphasis
added).
Mr. Loewen pleaded guilty to one count of attempted use of a weapon of mass
destruction and entered an 11(c)(1)(C) agreement with the government to 20 years, with
lifetime supervised release. The government agreed that this sentence was “consistent
with the sentencing factors of 18 U.S.C. § 3553(a)” and did “not offend the advisory
Criminal Procedure 11(c)(1)(C),” (Doc. 108) June 8, 2015, at 3, 4 (brackets and emphasis
added).
The second recent Kansas case is that of John Booker. Mr. Booker is one of the
elusive North American “knuckleheads” that the government has apparently never seen
27
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in the wild. In March of 2014, after seeing his post on Facebook that being killed in a
jihad would be a “rush,” the FBI went to tell him to, essentially, “knock it off.” Agents
knocked on Mr. Booker’s door and conducted an interview with him. During the
interview, Mr. Booker admitted that he “enlisted in the United States Army with the
intent to commit an insider attack against American soldiers. . .” He also admitted that he
had “formulated several plans for committing jihad once enlisted,” and that he “wanted to
target someone with power.” Mr. Booker was denied entry into the Army.
Seven months later, Mr. Booker, still unarrested, became involved with a
Confidential Human Source (CHS1) and expressed a “desire to engage in violent jihad,”
and to “kill the American soldier.” With the help of the FBI and CHS1, Mr. Booker made
introduced to a second Confidential Human Source (CHS2). Mr. Booker was so intent on
jihad that he told CHS2 that being a suicide bomber was “his number one aspiration
because he couldn’t be captured.” Mr. Booker settled on Fort Riley as the place to
conduct his suicide bombing and worked with his FBI connections to obtain the
components needed to build his car-bomb. Mr. Booker was arrested outside a little-used
gate of Fort Riley as he was making the final connections on the FBI-supplied “bomb.”
Like Mr. Loewen, Mr. Booker entered into an 11(c)(1)(C) plea agreement with the
28
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Destruction of Government Property by Fire or Explosion. And unlike Mr. Loewen, Mr.
Booker agreed to a sentence of 30, not 20 years. See Complaint and Affidavit, United
Both Mr. Loewen and Mr. Booker agreed to the application of USSG § 3A1.4, the
so-called Terrorism Enhancement. And because of this, their offense levels were each 43
(even with acceptance of responsibility), and their criminal history categories were VI.
However, neither were given life sentences. Because in each case a life sentence was
greater than was necessary to comply with paragraph (a)(2) of 18 U.S.C. § 3553. See
United States v. Ranum, 353 F. Supp. 2d 984, 986 n.1 (E.D.Wis. 2005) (the guidelines
clash with § 3553(a)’s primary directive to ‘impose a sentence sufficient, but not greater
than necessary to comply with the purposes’ of sentencing, also quoting Justice
Kennedy’s 2004 speech to the ABA that “prison sentences are too long...”).
Obviously, these do not represent the totality of “terrorism” cases where sentences
were imposed. They do, however, illustrate the variety of sentences and reflect the overall
trend that life sentences are often rejected in favor of more determinative, circumscribed
There were no victims of this offense. Thus there is no need to provide restitution.
29
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According to the pre-sentence report, Patrick Stein’s real criminal history score is
zero (0). This should have placed him in category I of the Guidelines’ Criminal History
range. However, due to the Terrorism Enhancement, Patrick’s Criminal History Category
given all the circumstances of the case in light of the factors set forth in 18 U.S.C. §
3553(a).” United States v. Huckins, 529 F.3d 1312, 1317 (10th Cir. 2008) (internal
History Category VI is not only too blunt an instrument to have genuine analytical value,
it is fundamentally at odds with the design of the Guidelines. It can, as it does in this
case, import a fiction into the calculus. It would impute to a defendant who has had no
criminal history a fictional history of the highest level of seriousness.” United States v.
Sentencing,” (Doc. 1920), at 17, July 18, 2018 (quoting United States v. Mehanna, No.
Patrick Stein has no scoreable past criminal activity. His only adult convictions
relate to incidents that occurred (1) over 30 years ago—a vehicle registration offense, and
30
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(2) over 20 years ago—a more serious burglary charge related to an alleged drug debt
from a time that Patrick Stein was involved with methamphetamine. Due to the age of
these convictions, they were properly given zero (0) criminal history points, and Patrick’s
original criminal history category was correctly set at category I yet the terrorism
The Guidelines provide the basis for the requested downward departure as USSG
See also United States v. Robertson, 662 F.3d 871, 879 (7th Cir. 2011) (“[A] within-
history. . .”).
This is not a case where Patrick Stein had multiple, minor criminal offenses that
added up to an unfairly high score. Rather, this is a case where Patrick Stein had zero
scorable criminal offenses but was given the highest criminal history score based solely
on an arbitrary decision of the United States Sentencing Commission. Patrick Stein has a
true criminal history score of zero and corresponding category of I. His artificially
31
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B. A life sentence conflicts with § 3553 (a)’s primary directive to impose a sentence
that is “sufficient but not greater than necessary.”
A life sentence is much greater than necessary to accomplish the goals of federal
sentencing.
On October 14, 2016, Patrick met with UCE Brian at a Dodge City McDonald’s
and gave him 300 pounds of inert urea. Brian was under the belief that the fertilizer was
ammonium nitrate, a highly volatile substance commonly used for making fertilizer
bombs. He was mistaken, but Patrick was arrested shortly after handing the inert urea
At the time of Patrick’s arrest, Curtis Allen had already been arrested for an
alleged domestic violence incident against Lula Harris, his live-in girlfriend. Based on
that arrest, Gavin Wright told both the FBI’s paid informant and Patrick Stein that he was
out of the conspiracy and no longer wanted anything to do with it. As Patrick told UCE
Brian, the conspiracy consisted of only himself and the paid informant. It was an
interesting end to a case that began with only Patrick Stein and that informant, Dan Day.
Patrick Stein first met Dan Day in February of 2016. Dan Day had already been
working as a paid FBI informant for several months. In fact, based on Dan Day’s
reporting the FBI had opened a domestic terrorism file on Jason Crick, the first subject of
Dan Day’s undercover activities. Approximately two months after he met Dan Day, the
FBI opened a domestic terrorism file on Patrick Stein, based almost entirely on Dan
32
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(hereinafter the “Opening EC”), only one meeting involving Patrick Stein had been
amend the Constitution of the United States under an Article V convention of the States.
And while the group had the procedure for that process completely incorrect, it was still a
While the Kansas Security Force was concerned about and planned for the
reaction of the government following the presentment of the Article V documents,3 the
FBI had a different idea about what Patrick Stein and KSF were planning. From the
Opening EC:
3
This was documented in the April 19, 2016 KSF meeting that was recorded by Dan Day.
33
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As the Opening EC makes clear, this case did not start as a case of conspiracy to
to bomb an apartment complex that housed a mosque. The closest Patrick Stein came to
an actual bombing was when he delivered inert urea to UCE Brian at McDonald’s on
Unable to arrest any of the defendants actually pressing the button in an attempt to
detonate an FBI supplied “bomb,” the government had to be satisfied with an agreement
and speculation that the defendants would actually have gone through with a plan. But if
we are going to allow speculation that they would have tried to activate a bomb, we must
allow for speculation in the other direction: that something would have happened to stop
them from pushing the button. The sentence should take that into account.
Kimbrough v. United States, 552 U.S. 85, 96 (2007) (internal quotes and citations
omitted).
34
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“The Terrorism Enhancement, when applied, ‘takes a wrecking ball,’ to the initial
“Memorandum Opinion and Order on Sentencing,” (Doc. 1920), at 9, July 18, 2018
see also id. at n.20 (noting the “difficulty” that “there is no distinction between less and
more serious offenses, those in which actual harm occurred and those where it did not”).
Put another way, “[i]s terrorism sufficiently unique (and dangerous) that it justifies
a sentencing ‘rule’ that goes against notions of individualized sentences that reflect the
inevitable differentiation among criminals?” Id. at 22. “There is no rational basis for
concluding that all individuals labeled as ‘terrorists’ and all crimes of ‘terrorism’ are
equal. ‘Gradation of offenses’ is an important value in criminal law. ‘We do not treat a
purse-snatcher like a rapist, [yet t]he Enhancement reflects a different view: a terrorist is
a terrorist.’ The requirement to view any terrorist as every terrorist goes against the basic
principles of sentencing and the factors set forth in 18 U.S.C. § 3553.” Id. at 22-23
I to a VI, the terrorism enhancement also arbitrarily enhances his guideline sentence by
35
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increase. See Kimbrough, 552 U.S. at 84 (“Given the Commission's departure from its
empirical approach in formulating the crack Guidelines and its subsequent criticism of
the crack/powder disparity, it would not be an abuse of discretion for a district court to
conclude when sentencing a particular defendant that the crack/powder disparity yields a
case.”). These factors all weigh heavily against a guidelines-based life sentence.
Patrick Stein’s crimes demonstrated an extreme level of hatred and fear, but they
also demonstrated an utter lack of sophistication. See United States v. Talk, 13 F.3d 369,
371 (10th Cir. 1993) (“While not foreclosing the possibility that lack of sophistication
could provide a valid basis for an upward or a downward departure, depending on the
crime and the circumstances, we hold that forcible rape is not a crime where
The recordings made by the FBI’s paid informant show that while Patrick Stein
was the most vocal of the defendants, he was also the least knowledgeable of the
defendants when it came to the actual mechanics of the plan. Patrick Stein did not know
the difference between commercial and military grade C-4, and he did not know the
difference between inert urea and ammonium nitrate, as he told UCE Brian. His lack of
knowledge was such that Curtis Allen and Gavin Wright did not include him when they
36
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changed as often as they met and ranged from dressing up as maintenance men and
dynamite through holes punched in the roof, to placing trash cans around the building and
packing them with explosives. In short, they had no real direction or plan other than to do
something.
On September 21, 2016, AUSA Tony Mattivi wrote case agents Robin Smith and
Amy Kuhn and a variety of other FBI officials the following email:
Everyone:
Given recent developments, I’m reassessing where we are with possible
charges in this case. Until now, I had been thinking about this case in terms
of violations of 18 USC 844(i) and 18 USC 371 [Conspiracy to commit
arson]. With the events planned in the next several days, I think the
defendants are crossing into the realm of us considering a charge of 18
USC 2332a (attempting to use weapons of mass destruction – punishable by
up to life imprisonment). We should (and I know we will, for tactical reasons
as well as the legal reasons) pay close attention to whether any of our targets
show up to any of these UC meetings armed. If so, that also gives us a valid
basis for charging violations of 18 USC 924(c) (possession of a firearm in
furtherance of a crime of violence, namely the attempted use of the WMD –
punishable by a mandatory term of imprisonment for five years, mandatorily
consecutive to any sentence imposed for the underlying WMD charge) And
each time we can document a target showing up armed for a meeting, that’s
a separate and additional 924(c) count – with a separate (and potentially
consecutive) sentence. Of course, the 844(i) and the 371 counts remain
applicable.
Just wanted to share my thoughts as the case progresses and evolves. Please
call or email if you have questions or want to discuss further (especially if
you think I’m missing the mark here – please speak up!).
Thanks,
37
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Tony
Prior to September 21, 2016, the United States government was thinking of this
carries a minimum term of 5 years and a maximum term of 20 years as long as injury or
death does not result. There was no injury or death in Patrick Stein’s case.
So what changed after September 21, 2016? What “events” planned in the “next
several days” could cause the government to move from a charge that would carry a
maximum sentence of 20 years in prison to one that carried a potential life sentence? The
only such event was the introduction of UCE Brian and the government’s offer to build
the explosive device for the defendants. There was no change in plans. There was no
change in targets. There was no change in means. The only change? The government was
Prior to September 21, 2016, the case consisted of the three defendants and Dan
Day . In fact, Dan Day told the FBI—incorrectly, it turns out—nearly a month before Mr.
Mattivi’s email that the defendants had everything they needed to build an explosive
device. However, it appears that the size and scope of that theoretical explosive device
The email quoted above clearly shows that charges were manipulated through the
use of UCE Brian and his offer to make a much larger explosive than defendants would
38
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have made on their own. See U.S.S.G. Pt. A.4 ("[A] sentencing court may control any
United States v. Gamez, 1 F.Supp. 2d 176 (E.D.N.Y. 1998) (Weinstein, J.) (departure
from level 20 to 15 warranted in money laundering case because nature of crime more
closely resembled structuring crime which had lower guidelines); United States v.
Lieberman, 971 F.2d 989, 995 (3d Cir. 1992) (where prosecution charged defendant with
tax evasion and embezzlement, knowing not groupable, and other defendants not
charged, court can depart downward to ensure equality in sentencing and that U.S.
Attorney not manipulate sentencing even absent bad faith) (emphasis added).
which numerous charges can be used to fit any situation. There rarely seems to be one
clear-cut statute or one clear-cut set of facts. The same can be said for the United States
Sentencing Guidelines, as was seen by the contortions required to arrive at a base offense
originally intending to sell. See United States v. Staufer 38 F.3d 1103 (9th Cir. 1994)
(district court has authority to depart downward where defendant was encouraged by
agents to furnish 10,000 doses of LSD, more drugs than defendant was predisposed to
deliver (5,000 doses)). See also United States v. Searcy, 233 F.3d 1096, 1099 (8th
39
Case 6:16-cr-10141-EFM Document 441 Filed 10/29/18 Page 40 of 46
Cir.2000) (“This case demonstrates that the Sentencing Guidelines have a ‘terrifying
misconduct.”).
conduct: the escalation from relatively simple trash can bombs envisioned by the
alone raised the stakes not only on the investigation but on the potential sentences
associated with that investigation as well. The ultimate sentence should take that into
account.
F. Imperfect Entrapment
(Doc. 374 Proposed Defense Jury Instruction No. 24). The instruction was denied by the
Court. While Patrick Stein disagrees with the Court’s denial of this instruction, this is not
the issue before the Court at this time. Rather, the question is whether the evidence
presented was sufficient for this Court to make a finding of “imperfect entrapment” and
grant a downward departure for the aggressive conduct of the government through its
The testimony at trial clearly demonstrated that it was Dan Day who:
40
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1) “Found” ISIS recruiting flyers at the Garden City library and informed Jason
2) Proposed the Mary Street Apartment complex as the target of the defendants’
and continuing to push this location because it was close to his house and close
3) Provided the defendants with information about the Mary Street Apartments,
including telling them that the white residents had been moved out to make
room for the Muslim refugees. He also told them that they were driving brand
new cars and wearing expensive suits, and were more than likely involved in
4) Worked to keep the group together whenever there appeared to be friction that
might jeopardize the conspiracy, spending hours on the phone with Patrick
Stein convincing him that he just needed to let Curtis Allen have his own way
because what they were trying to do was too important to let petty
5) Pushed the group to have meetings when nothing was getting done.
6) Pushed the group to meet with the UCE, not only for what he could do for
them now but what he could do for them in the future, often implying that UCE
41
Case 6:16-cr-10141-EFM Document 441 Filed 10/29/18 Page 42 of 46
Brian could provide them with supplies for the civil war the defendants
UCE Brian also described his “legend” not only as an arms dealer who could
provide the items that Patrick and the other defendants wanted for a price, but also as a
like-minded individual who, like Dan Day, always agreed with Patrick.
While the Court found that these facts did not meet the requirements of
entrapment, the facts do show a paid informant who took an active role in the conspiracy,
playing the part of active KSF participant as well as a confessor and conciliator for
Patrick Stein regarding his issues with Curtis Allen and Gavin Wright.
encouragement of criminal activity was not severe enough to constitute the defense of
sentencing. See United States v. Garza-Juarez, 992 F.3d 896, 912 (9th Cir. 1991). With
imperfect entrapment the defendant does not need to be devoid of any predisposition to
commit the crime. United States v. McClelland, 72 F.3d 717, 725 (9th Cir. 1995). “[I]t is
precisely those defendants who are predisposed but who are then pressured unduly by the
government to go forward with the offense who are eligible to assert imperfect
entrapment.” Id.
42
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Patrick Stein’s offense level was increased by 12 points (and his criminal history
increased from category I to category VI), based on the terrorism enhancement found at
U.S.S.G. § 3A1.4. This enhancement applies if the crime for which the defendant is
Patrick has objected to the application of this enhancement, the United States Probation
Office has applied it to his conviction on Count 1, conspiracy to use a weapon of mass
destruction.
In United States v. Garey, 383 F. Supp. 2d 1374 (M.D. Ga. 2005) United States
District Judge Land, when faced with a similar objection from a defendant convicted
under 18 U.S.C. § 2332a, among other charges, upheld the enhancement but expressed
apprehension:
The Court’s concern centers upon the fact that this definition of
federal crime of terrorism is included in the code section that is limited to
terrorism that transcends national boundaries. 18 U.S.C. § 2332b. Violation
of § 2332b, in which this definition appears, requires a finding that the
offenses conduct “transcends national boundaries”; therefore, Defendant
could not have been convicted under § 2332b . . . The question therefore
arises as to whether the interpretation of this definition should be read in
4
Patrick Stein concedes that the crime for which he was convicted meets the second prong of the definition
43
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the context of the entire code section and should thus be read to mean that
federal crime of terrorism is an offense, transcending national boundaries .
..
383 F. Supp. 2d at 1378 (emphasis in original). Despite his concerns, Judge Land found
that the guidelines did not require the offense to transcend national boundaries for the
However, Judge Land found that his concerns were enough to grant a variance to
the defendant:
threat to bomb public facilities, injuring and maiming (but not killing) thousands of
people, would face the same sentence as this Defendant who did not cause physical injury
Judge Land granted the defendant a variance by finding that the terrorism
considering the “nature and circumstances of the offense.” He combined this with a
finding that the increase in criminal history category did not accurately reflect and, in
fact, ignores the “individual ‘history and characteristics’ of the Defendant, and instead
44
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crime of terrorism under the guidelines.” Id. In the end, Judge Land used the defendant’s
true criminal history category of III and an offense level of 41 to sentence the defendant
Patrick Stein would ask this Court to adopt the same justification for a variance as
that used by Judge Land and based his guidelines on his true criminal history category of
V. CONCLUSION
Patrick Stein has been convicted and will be sentenced for his role in the charged
conspiracies. A sentence of no more than 15 years will be sufficient, but not greater than
necessary, to appropriately reflect the reality of the crime with which he was involved
s/ James R. Pratt
JAMES R. PRATT, #17716
445 N. Waco
Wichita, Kansas 67202
Ph: (316) 262-2600
Fax: (316) 262-2602
[email protected]
Attorney for Defendant
s/ Michael Shultz
MICHAEL SHULTZ, #23133
Shultz Law Office, P.A.
445 N. Waco
Wichita, Kansas 67202
Ph: (316) 269-2284
Fax: (316) 269-2011
[email protected]
Attorney for Defendant
45
Case 6:16-cr-10141-EFM Document 441 Filed 10/29/18 Page 46 of 46
CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE
I hereby certify that on October 29, 2018, I electronically filed the foregoing with the
clerk of the court by using the CM/ECF system which will send a notice of electronic
filing to each counsel of record in this case.
I further certify that I mailed the foregoing document and the notice of electronic filing
by first-class mail to the following non-CM/ECF participants: none
s/James R. Pratt
JAMES R. PRATT #17716
Attorney for Defendant
445 N. Waco
Wichita, Kansas 67202
Ph: (316) 262-2600
Fax: (316) 262-2602
[email protected]
46
Case
Case
Case6:16-cr-10141-EFM
6:13-cr-10200-MLB
6:13-mj-06261-KMHDocument
Document
Document
441-1
1-1
1 Filed
Filed
Filed12/13/13
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DEC I 3 2013
Plaintiff,
v.
Case Number: /3-hlJ- 0 2/s,/-bl-klltfl
TERRY L. LOEWEN,
Defendant.
CRIMINAL COMPLAINT
I, Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent Stephen Cousineau, being duly sworn,
state the following is true and correct to the best of my knowledge and belief, and establishes
COUNT 1
On or about December 13, 2013, in the District of Kansas and elsewhere, the defendant,
TERRY L. LOEWEN,
attempted, without lawful authority, to use a weapon of mass destruction against people and
property within the United States and such property is used in interstate and foreign
EXHIBIT A
Case
Case
Case6:16-cr-10141-EFM
6:13-cr-10200-MLB
6:13-mj-06261-KMHDocument
Document
Document
441-1
1-1
1 Filed
Filed
Filed12/13/13
12/13/13
10/29/18Page
Page
Page22of
2ofof
21
2121
commerce, and the offense, and the results of the offense, would have affected interstate or
foreign commerce.
COUNT2
On or about December 13, 2013, in the District of Kansas and elsewhere, the defendant,
TERRY L. LOEWEN,
maliciously attempted to damage and destroy, by means of an explosive, a building, vehicle and
COUNT3
On or about October 7, 2013, in the District of Kansas and elsewhere, the defendant,
TERRY L. LOEWEN,
knowingly attempted to provide material support and resources, in the way of services,
personnel and property as that term appears in Title 18, United States Code, Section 2339A(b),
to Al Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), a foreign terrorist organization that has been
continuously designated since January 19, 2010, knowing that the organization was a
designated terrorist organization, (as defined in Title 18, United States Code, Section
2339B(g)(6)) and that the organization engages in and has engaged in and was engaging in
EXHIBIT A
Case
Case
Case6:16-cr-10141-EFM
6:13-cr-10200-MLB
6:13-mj-06261-KMHDocument
Document
Document
441-1
1-1
1 Filed
Filed
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terrorist activity (as defined in Section 212(a)(3}(B) of the Immigration and Nationality Act) and
terrorism (as defined in Section 140(d)(2) of the Foreign Relations Authorization Act, Fiscal
information I received from other law enforcement officers, and/or from other individuals and
does not contain all facts known to the agent, but only those facts sufficient to establish
I have been employed as a Special Agent since September 25, 2011. I am currently assigned
to the Wichita, Kansas, Resident Agency, Kansas City Division. Prior to service with the FBI, I
was a Captain for the United States Army where I served for a total of six years. As a Special
Agent of the FBI, I am authorized to investigate violations of laws of the United States, and I
am a law enforcement officer with authority to execute arrest, search, and seizure warrants
under the authority of the United States. I have participated in a wide variety of criminal
investigations, to include white collar crimes, health care fraud, crimes against children,
child exploitation, bank robbery, and other violent and non-violent Federal crimes.
EXHIBIT A
Case
Case
Case 6:13-mj-06261-KMHDocument
6:16-cr-10141-EFM
6:13-cr-10200-MLB Document
Document 1 Filed
441-1
1-1 Filed
Filed12/13/13
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12/13/13 Page
Page444
of 21
ofof
2121
Background
2. AQAP is a Yemen ba sed terrorist group that has claimed responsibility for several
terrorist acts aga inst the United States. On or about January 19, 2010, th e United States
Secreta ry of State designated AQAP as a foreign terrorist organization under Section 219 of
the Immigration and Naturalization Act, and remains designated through the date of the
complaint.
3. Terry Loewen (Loewen) is a U.S. person located in Wichita, Ka nsas. Loewen was
born on 1955. On or about June 20, 2013, the FBI reviewed a copy of Loewen 's valid
U.S. passport that was attached to Loewen's Security Identificat ion Display Area !SIDA)
badge application and obta ined from an employee at the Wichita Mid-Continent Air port.
Loewen is a citizen of the United States. Information obtained by the FBI in M ay 2013 from
the Kansas Criminal Just ice Information System and FBI physical surveillance in September
2013 indicates that Loewen resides in Wich ita, Kansas. As discussed below, Loewen is
to him is an FBI employee (FBI Emp loyee 1). Statements Loewen has made to FBI Employee
1
1 reflect his desire t o engage in violent jihad on behalf of al Qaeda. For example, on or
about Augu st 5, 2013, during a comm unication, Loewen told FBI Employee 1 in relevant
part:
1
"Jihad" is an Arabic term meaning "holy war," and while it has many different meanings, the defendant uses it to
mean violent j ihad.
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As time goes on I care less and less about what other people think of me,
or my views of Islam. I have been studying subjects like jihad, martyrdom
2
operations, and Sharia law. I don't understand how you can read the
3 4
Qur'an and the sunnah of the Prophet (saw) and not understand that
jihad and the implementation of Sharia is absolutely demanded of all the
5
Muslim Ummah. I feel so guilt-ridden sometimes for knowing what's
required of me but yet doing little or nothing to make it happen. I love
my Muslim brothers and sisters, whether they agree with me or not, it's
just hard to deal with the denial that some of them appear to be going
through. I was texting a sister on line a week or two ago, and she insisted
that jihad was wrong, that any pain Muslims were suffering was their
6
own fault for not having enough iman, and that the Prophet never said
apostates should be put to death. I do agree on one thing; the one thing
we are doing wrong is that all 1.5 billion of us don't rise up against the
7
rest of the world and tell THEM how it's going to be. lnshallah, it will
happen soon.
One last thing I would like to make clear if I haven't already - I believe the Muslim who is
labeled "a radical fundamentalist" is closer to Allah (swt) 8 than the ones labeled
"moderates". Just my opinion; if I'm off base, please set me straight.
2
"Sharia" is the moral code and religious law of Islam.
3
"Sunnah" is an Arabic term meaning "direct path."
4
The initials SAW is an abbreviation for Salla Allahu 'Alaihi Wa Sallam which translated means May the blessings
and the peace of Allah be upon him (Muhammad). This abbreviation is frequently used when the name of the
Prophet Muhammad is spoken or used.
5
"Ummah" is an Arabic term meaning "the Islamic Nation."
6
"Iman" is an Arabic term meaning "faith or beliefs."
7
"lnshallah" or "lnsha' Allah" is an Arabic term meaning "God willing."
8
The initials swt is an abbreviation for Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala which translated means "Allah is pure of having
partners and He is exalted from having a son." This abbreviation is frequently used when the name of Allah is
spoken or used.
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someone who could help him engage in violent jihad. In response to this offer, Loewen
9
Brothers like Osama bin Laden and Anwar al Awlaki are a great
inspiration to me, but I must be willing to give up everything (like they
did) to truly feel like a obedient slave of Allah (swt). You stated you might
be able to put me in contact with someone that might be able to help -
not sure what that means, and I can't ask any direct questions, but with
what I stated above, plus whatever I can impart to you in future
correspondents [sic], perhaps you can better judge what it is I need. I in
no way want to put you or any other brother in harms way - and that is a
great concern of mine, so please be careful. I realize we don't know each
other very well, and neither one of us knows who could be listening in, so
please use caution. I very much appreciate your advice and offer of help
{I certainly need it), but my love for fellow Muslims is much greater than
my love for myself.
6. On or about August 17, 2013, Loewen informed FBI Employee 1 about his review
of Awlaki articles and other al Qaeda-related texts. Loewen wrote in relevant part:
10
I have read Anwar AI-Awlaki's 44 ways of Jihad, and like everything I've
ever read of his, it's very informative .... I have downloaded tens of
thousands of pages on the subjects I mentioned earlier [referring to jihad,
martyrdom operations and implementation of Sharia law]. Today I
printed out something called the Al Qaeda Manual ( or Manchester
Manual), ...
9
Prior to his death, Awlaki was a leader of al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP). Awlaki helped recruit Umar
Farouk Abdulmutallab, the man convicted of trying to blow up a transatlantic flight as it landed in Detroit,
Michigan, on December 25, 2009. Awlaki is also believed to be behind the foiled attack in which two ink cartridge
bombs, posted in Yemen, were intercepted in Britain and Dubai on their way to Chicago in the fall of 2010. Al
Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) claimed responsibility for this attempted terrorist attack. Awlaki used the
Internet to engage in direct contact with individuals to encourage violent jihad, and was involved in the publication
of "Inspire" magazine. According to open source reporting, Awlaki was killed on or about September 30, 2011, in
Yemen.
10
"44 Ways to Support Jihad" is an essay that describes dying as a martyr, supporting the mujahideen, and
encouraging others to engage in jihad.
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outlining his ideas for engaging in violent jihad. He stated in relevant part:
Let me get to the bottom line without being too revealing - I have
numerous ideas of ways I could perform jihad in the path of Allah (swt)
11
but outside du'a, none of them are legal. I'm 58 years old and spending
my remaining years behind bars for a good reason is not out of the
question for me. I have considered supporting some of our brothers and
sisters in prison, and have been sending money to the family of Youn nus
Abdullah Muhammad, one of the founder [sic] of the Revolution Muslim
website, which is the first website that really helped me understand what
obedience to Allah(swt) was. He is doing eleven and a half years over the
whole South Park fiasco; isn't democracy great? I still need to do more
however. If by any chance you know of someone who is active in jihad
and could use an occasional influx of "help", please let me know. Short of
that, nothing I am doing now is enough. If the subject is too hot to
handle, by all means let it go. I only want to help my brothers, not lead
12
them to a destination they feel isn't for them. I just hate the kaffar
government and those who are following it to the Hellfire, and the
sooner it and its followers get there, the better.
Loewen stated in relevant part: "hey I read Inspire magazine; I believe in staying
13
informed."
11
"Du'a" is an Arabic term meaning invocation, prayer, or an act of supplication.
12
"Kaffir," or "kuffar," is a term used by Muslims, often in a derogatory manner, to describe non-Muslims.
13
In July 2010, AQAP released the first edition of an English-language electronic magazine titled Inspire. This
magazine featured, among other things, teachings from Awlaki, a death threat against an American citizen, and
step-by-step directions for making a homemade bomb. The magazine is intended to be used to recruit individuals
(especially Westerners} to engage in violent jihad, and to train and prepare them for jihad. Numerous issues of
Inspire magazine have been published, each of which contained articles regarding violent jihad.
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10. On or about August 27, 2013, Loewen clarified his vision of engaging in terrorist
Aiding the mujahdeen [sic] is pretty low stress for me ; it's always
something I've wanted to do but you just can't walk up to any Muslim
and ask - I don't know that even they would't [sic] turn me in. Now, the
work thing is very heavy stuff, because I don't really know how other
brothers would want to handle it - it's just too big for me to handle on my
own, and the more people that get involved, the more chance it has of
going south[.] ... I guess I look at myself as the "access" guy at this point -
just need more details, if any exist at this point - are we talking
explosives, because I know nothing about that? It's all very surreal at this
point, exciting, yet scary.
11. While continuing to discuss possible terrorist operations that could be conducted
at his workplace, he stated that he was able to escort people out on the tarmac which leads
to the airliners and control tower. Loewen stated that he could get access to bring a vehicle
onto the tarmac, which would then have access to the runways, but not until January.
Loewen apologized for asking for details "before the operation is in the planning stage." He
asked FBI Employee 1 to give him some time to decide if this was the right way to go and, if
he decided it was, that maybe they could then get others involved [in the plot].
regarding the mistake he had made by allowing a family member to help him with his
14
"Tawheed," or Tawhid, is an Arabic term referring to the concept of monotheism in Islam.
8
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computer. In a previous conversation with FBI Employee 1, Loewen stated that FBI
Employee l's conversations with Loewen were protected because Loewen did not allow a
family member to use or see his computer. Because Loewen had been having trouble with
his computer, he asked his family member to help him figure out the problem. The family
member "fixed" it by deleting or uninstalling a program from the computer. Loewen had
assumed that his recklessness had affected his relationship with FBI Employee 1 to the
extent that he would have to cease all contact. Loewen wrote the following to FBI
Employee 1:
I just spent an hour responding to your emai (sic) and dumped it before I
sent itl (sic) - I don't think I have the will power to repeat it. It explained a
great deal about what has happened the last couple of days and why I
believe my "reckless endangerment" of myself and others has to come to
an end. I understand how upset you are about this and I won't let it
happen again, and I think the only way I can assure that is by isolating
myself and any action I come up with, will have to be done alone. I'm not
able to keep things in order, therefore causing an unsafe enviorment (sic)
for myself and others, and the worse thing I can think of is someone else
going down for my stupidity. I really don't see me living through any thing
I have in mind, assuming I can even pul (sic) it off. Again I apologize for
this fucking mess, and will miss the wonderful conversations we had.
Peace be with you my brother.
Loewen believed, based upon communication from FBI Employee 1 following his
disclosure of allowing a family member to access his computer to remedy his issues, that FBI
Employee 1 was upset with him for this breach in communications security and no longer
trusted him. As stated in the communication above, Loewen indicated that to ensure he did
not put himself, FBI Employee 1, or others at risk of exposure due to his recklessness, he
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explained that he/she felt Loewen misinterpreted his/her comments and that they should
discuss the issue in order to work through their misunderstanding and concerns. On or
about September 3, 2013, following up FBI Employee l's offer to work things through,
Loewen initiated contact with FBI Employee 1 and explained in detail what happened, how
it happened, and his assessment of whether or not FBI Employee l's identity, or Loewen's
plans for jihad had been compromised by a family member's work on his computer.
Specifically, Loewen stated in relevant part: "[The family member] never saw any of our
conversations, and if [he/she] had, [he/she] isn't the type to turn us in .... "
reasserted his commitment to engage in jihad, had thanked FBI Employee 1 for his/her
understanding and forgiveness for potentially exposing his communications with FBI
Employee 1 to a family member, indicated the precautions he would take to ensure that he
did not repeat the same mistake, and agreed to remain in contact with FBI Employee 1.
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During the ensuing conversation, FBI Employee 1 sent the information on how to send
money via Western Union, and then explained how to put the information in a notepad file
and save it to a thumb drive. After he completed saving the information, Loewen stated in
relevant part:
Works for me. I'll put it somewhere secure - I have all kinds of jihad-
related materals [sic] on it.
15. During communication with FBI Employee 1 on or about September 13, 2013,
Reading about the actions of the muhajideen [sic] and actually carrying
them out is two different things. If not for my family, I would have
already carried out some sort of operation - but thats my fault for
putting others before Allah(swt) which I know better than to do.
16. On or about September 17, 2013, Loewen sent photos to FBI Employee 1 of what
appeared to be fighter jet trainers on the tarmac outside his hanger. FBI Employee 1 asked
15
FBI Employee 1 previously provided Loewen instructions on how to send money via Western Union on or about
September 3, 2013. At that time, FBI Employee 1 provided Loewen the name of the recipient and details of what
he could expect to happen based upon the amount of money he was trying to send. Loewen never sent any
money to the individual referred to him by FBI Employee 1.
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17. On or about September 21, 2013, Loewen responded to FBI Employee l's
question about the pictures of the jets that Loewen had taken on September 17, 2013. The
As far as the birds go, I don't know what they were for sure - they were
there less than an hour and left. I think there is an airshow somewhere
close, but [don't?] know for sure. All they stopped for was fuel. The ones I
sent pies of the other day actually stayed over night. We have had
numerous Apatche's [sic] land and stay over night - it's all going on next
to where I work, but we have no involvement with them ( at least not
YET). They drop in, but I have no way of knowing when. I don't see
anyway an operation could be planned in advance. It would have been
possible today for me to have walked over there, shot both pilots( I don't
know if they are armed or not), slapped some C4 on both fuel trucks and
set them off before anyone even called TSA. Talks REAL cheap, however,
so what I think I can do and what I actually can do are probably two
different things. Next year I intend to get a ramp pass so I can drive my
vehicle on the ramp. As far as what you tell the brothers - as long as my
name isn't used I'm good with it. Like I said, I have the access, but unless
someone thinks I'm teachable, thats about all I have to offer - but don't
get me wrong; I certainly have the desire to learn how to perform an
operation like this. I just haven't been given the "green light" by
Allah(swt) yet - at least not that I'm aware of.
18. On or about October 3, 2013, FBI Employee 1 told Loewen that he/she had just
returned from overseas after meeting with individuals connected with AQAP. FBI Employee
1 stated that the "brothers" were interested and excited to hear about Loewen's access to
the airport where he worked. FBI Employee 1 also asked Loewen if he would be willing to
"scout for potential targets, collect information on security measures in place, [and] take
photos of security access points." He/She also asked if Loewen would be willing to plant
some type of device when the time came for doing so. Loewen responded by stating the
following:
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Wow! Thats some heavy stuff you just laid down. Am I interested? Yes. I
still need time to think about it, but I can't imagine anything short of
arrest stopping me. But as you keep reminding me, I need to let
Allah(swt) guide me. It's very hard for me to comprehend the fact that I
could be part of such a massive operation. I'm just Allah's slave, and not a
very good one at that. I have one question: How do you really know who I
am or what my agenda really is? I pray to Allah(swt} every night that I'm
not being misled, and if I am, that He will make it very apparant (sic) to
me. I trust you but part of me wants to trust ANYBODY who says they
believe what I do because those kind of people are SO rare, and I thirst
for that. I'm sorry I can't say I trust you 100%; my greatest fear is not
being able to complete an operation because I was set up. I hate this
government so much for what they have done to our brothers and
sisters, that to spent (sic} the rest of my life in prison without having
taken a good slice out of the serpents head is unacceptable to me. If
there is anyway of reassuring me, please do. As I said, I pray for guidance
but God doesn't speak to me like He does others. I hope I haven't
offended you, but this is like a dream come true for me, and I never
expect things this good to occur in my life. I want nothing from this life
but to please Allah (swt), and without engaging in jihad for His sake, I
can't say that I did anything to please him. Peace be upon you and all my
brothers and sisters in Islam.
19. On October 4, 2013, Loewen advised FBI Employee 1 that he had some questions
about what his involvement might be and the kind of operation that was being considered.
I have some questions about that - if what I ask is not a "need to know" at
this time, tell me. Am I only involved as far as "prepping" for this is
concerned, and just watching the rest unfold? And is it a martyrdom
operation?; if so am I going to be part of that? I'm asking for a week to
give myself time to process all this an (sic) give you an answer. As I've
stated before, I won't be able to access the ramp with a vehicle until next
year - so driving on to airport property with a van full of C4 is out of the
question - after the first of the year, we could drive a city bus out there. It
used to be vehicle access was an option, if that's changed I'm not aware
of it.
20. On October 5, 2013, FBI Employee 1 explained that the plans had not been
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FBI Employee 1 also stated that Loewen could back out at any time without the risk of losing
face because no one knew his identity. Loewen responded that he wanted another few
days to make his decision about going forward and stated the following:
Thank you for not getting anybodys (sic) hopes up too high in case I back
out - to those on the front line I'm sure it would appear very cowardly of
me. And they would probably be right. But it puts less pressure on me to
do an operation, even if I would rather not. I have about 50 questions,
but I realise (sic) descression (sic) is of the utmost importants (sic). As far
as things I would not want to engage in; you have said they are looking at
a time close to the holidays; I can't see myself doing anything that
involves killing children, unless I know everything is being done to
minimize that. I understand it's a war, and some of these brothers may
have had their children killed by this country, but in light of what the
Prophet(saw) said concering (sic) this, I just need to be sure it can be kept
to an absolute minimum. And to address my wish for maryrdom (sic), I
need to make sure I only desire it to please Allah(swt) . To kill numerous
people and then trying to face anyone I know (including "moderate
Muslims") is a fate worse than death to me. And I doubt I would last 5
minutes under torture - I would much rather die than roll over on a
brother, even at this stage of the game. You are the only person I have
any contact with on the jihad issue, but I would rather die than even give
the authorities your name.
21. On October 7, 2013, Loewen sent numerous photographs of his airport access
badge, entrance gates to the tarmac, and the devices used to access the gates. On October
8, 2013, Loewen also told FBI Employee 1 what the various codes and colors of his badge
meant. Loewen also surmised that there were not any surveillance cameras at the gate.
22. On October 11, 2013, Loewen communicated with FBI Employee 1 stating that
Thought I would run what I tried to send yesterday by you again. I will be
unable to get gate access until next year ( 1/11/14 ) which is the date my
badge expires. As far as airport terminal access, I will take a drive down
that way soon, but I believe with a vehicle with company logo it would be
no problem. If you like I can get a close up of the logo so a vehicle other
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than ours could be painted to match, there by (sic) allowing more time to
modify said vehicle for an operation, and then driven through the gate.
Just a thought; I'm sure the brothers already have that figured out. I
stated last week that I would decide by today if I'm in or out - count me in
for the duration.
23. From October 11, 2013 through October 16, Loewen and FBI Employee 1
problems and the excitement about the operation. FBI Employee 1 told Loewen that
he/she could provide him with a new computer if Loewen did not have the money to buy a
new one. Loewen thanked FBI Employee 1 for the computer and stated the following:
All is good with me. lnshallah, this operation will be huge. Just to be a
part of any operation with these brothers is a great honor for me, but of
(sic) it can instill and great financial loss to the tagoot who run this
country, then I will truly feel blessed. I pray the peace of Allah(swt) will
be upon you and the other brothers. May this mission,inshallah, be
fruitful for all of us.
24. Between or about October 18, 2013, through on or about October 19, 2013,
Loewen and FBI Employee 1 communicated about Loewen meeting one of the brothers in
person and providing the laptop at that time. FBI Employee asked Loewen if he would be
available to meet in the next week. FBI Employee 1 reminded Loewen of the need for
complete discretion and that security should be paramount. Loewen stated that he was not
available during the weekend, but could meet during the week. Loewen also stated:
25. On or about October 22, 2013, Loewen told FBI Employee 1 that he would be
available to meet with the brother on the next Friday night after work.
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26. On October 25, 2013, Loewen met in person with FBI Employee 2 whom he
believed was a "brother" associated with AQAP. During the meeting Loewen reiterated his
desire to help FBI Employee 2 with a mission to blow up a plane with numerous people on
board. Loewen explained the access that he had to the airport and that he could not drive
a vehicle onto the airport property until January 2014 when his badge was scheduled to be
renewed.
27. On November 8, 2013, Loewen again met in person with FBI Employee 2. During
this meeting. Loewen indicated that he was interested in becoming a martyr (i.e. dying in
the attack), but that he needed to make sure that there was a reason for him to be
martyred. Loewen also stated that he would not pull the "trigger" to blow up FBI Employee
2. The two also discussed the possibility of finding some way of escape so that it would not
have to be a martyrdom operation. FBI Employee 2 suggested that Loewen could possibly
travel overseas to a location where he could reside with other brothers. In discussing the
device (VBIED) to the terminal near a number of passenger planes, Loewen suggested that
another individual could come in to the terminal with a suicide vest and detonate that to
coincide with the VBIED outside. FBI Employee 2 and Loewen discussed executing this plan
just prior to Christmas which would cause the greatest impact physically and economically.
They further decided that when discussing the airport and this mission they should use code
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28. On or about November 11, 2013, Loewen told FBI Employee 1 how the meeting
with FBI Employee 2 went. In describing his meeting Loewen stated in relevant part:
I am well and the brother was very inspiring as always. We did look over
the rental property, and I explained how we could accomplish the deed
with the least resistance. I always think of things I would like to discuss
further with him after we have parted company so I may relay those
questions and comments to you and you can get them to him, if thats
(sic) possible. He asked me if I would like to take the ride all the way with
him and I said yes, although he said he would ask the other brothers if it
was possible for me to leave the country afterwards. I started thinking
this would put other brothers in harms (sic) way, so I probably won't go
that route. I told him I would go all the way with him to save other
brothers much more valuable than me to the Um mah, from making that
sacrifice. As I have told you before, I would consider that a great honor. I
feel so close to this brother(as you said I would) that going to the end
with him seems like the right thing to do. I haven't mentioned this to you
because I only found out when I went to security inquiring about my
badge: the airport is being renovated - whether thst (sic) is effecting (sic)
the area the aircraft park in I don't know. I've been using Google maps to
survey the area, but things may have changed. I will try to find an excuse
to go down that way and scope it out, or check with one of the fuelers
about it. I assume because of air traffic that area can't be blocked, but I
will make sure ....
29. On or about November 13, 2013, Loewen communicated with FBI Employee 1
again. Among other things, FBI Employee 1 discussed Loewen's willingness to sacrifice
himself for the sake of other brothers. Loewen responded with the following:
Just finished checking the photos from the air of the renovation of said
property - all improvements are taking place west of our rental
properties. Haven't found the completion date yet, but it shouldn't take
too much digging to discover. When complete, it will render our rental
units useless. But even at that, it wouldn't change the overall strategy of
our project, just add a little more distance to the normal drive. The
brother asked me to check times on traffic going in and out, so I hope to
have some fairly in-depth details for him. It may require me to pay a visit
inside of the property, but most of the info is on the website,
mashallah .... Did you notice the brother who got busted trying to fly to
Syria to aid Al Qaeda in fighting the taghoot government - guess he
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posted a large amount of radical information on Facebook and the FBI set
him up. I keep a pretty low profile on Facebook anymore - I have more
important things to attend to ....
30. On or about November 15, 2013, FBI Employee 1 and Loewen communicated
with each other. FBI Employee 1 commented about the "brother" who was arrested by the
FBI and agreed with Loewen that it was better to keep a low profile. FBI Employee 1 also
inquired about the renovations and the best time to buy the open house. Loewen
31. On November 19, 2013, Loewen met with FBI Employee 2 and reiterated his
desire to martyr himself with FBI Employee 2. FBI Employee 2 told Loewen that he,
Loewen, could be the navigator (i.e. the individual who would give directions to the place
where the device would be detonated) to the terminal if he was willing, and Loewen
agreed. Loewen also provided FBI Employee 2 research that he had conducted on the best
time to execute the attack based upon the number of people who would be boarding
aircraft and the number of people who would be in the terminal. Loewen further expressed
his desire to kill as many people as possible, and he explained where to park a vehicle full of
explosives to accomplish that goal. Loewen also provided a diagram of the terminal and
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tarmac including distances between the gate areas. Finally, Loewen agreed to purchase a
component that would be used to detonate the explosive. FBI Employee 2 explained to
Loewen that they would need other items to complete the explosive device. Loewen
agreed to obtain those items from his workplace, and without prompting stated that he
could wire the explosive device, since he does wiring as part of his employment. They
agreed on a final plan, that once Loewen got gate access they would drive to the terminal in
the early morning hours, and detonate the device between the terminals for maximum
casualties, and that both FBI Employee 2 and Loewen would die in the explosion.
32. On November 21, 2013, Loewen met with FBI Employee 2 and provided the
requested components that he had obtained from his employer. He further stated that, in
order to not attract attention, he would not try to renew his badge until 30 days before it
expired.
33. On or about December 3, 2013, Loewen met with FBI Employee 2 and provided
containers that were to be used for the explosive material. Loewen and FBI Employee 2
discussed how the device would be constructed. Loewen reiterated his desire to wire the
device and that he would flip the switch when it came time for that. Loewen also provided
FBI Employee 2 another diagram of the terminal and marked an "X" to indicate the best
place to park the vehicle to cause the most damage. Loewen also provided time schedules
for departures at the airport and confirmed that very early morning would be the best time
34. On December 6, 2013, Loewen renewed his SIDA badge and was told that he
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35. On December_ 9, 2013, Loewen used his badge to verify that he did in fact have
gate access to the tarmac. At approximately 6:37 p.m. Loewen was able to gain access to
the tarmac using his badge and exited the secure area at approximately 6:38 p.m.
36. On December 11, 2013, FBI Employee 2 met with Loewen again. The two of
them went to another location where Loewen wired the triggering device, and he assisted
16
FBI Employee 2 in assembling the rest of the bomb. Both agreed that Friday, December
13, 2013, would be the best day to execute their plan, and Loewen stated that he was
happy that this was going to happen soon. Later that day FBI Employee 2 spoke with
Loewen, who stated that he did not go in to work that day, but had spent the day writing
letters to his family member and making lists about what he still needed to do.
37. On December 13, 2013, at approximately 4:45 a.m., FBI Employee 2 picked up
Loewen at a local hotel. The two drove to the location where the bomb was being stored,
and arrived at 4:55 a.m. Loewen finished wiring the device rendering it operational. At
approximately 5:19 a.m., Loewen and FBI Employee 2 departed their location and began
their route to Wichita Mid-Continent Airport. At approximately 5:40 a.m., FBI Employee 2
and Loewen arrived at the gate where Loewen tested his badge on December 11, 2013. At
approximately 5:42 a.m. Loewen exited the vehicle and attempted to use his badge twice
17
on the card reader access panel in order to gain entry to the tarmac. The badge and the
code used by Loewen were unique to him, and validated by the security system, and would
16
All of the explosive material used in this device was inert.
17
The gate that Loewen attempted to access had been disabled prior to his arrival at the airport.
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have opened the gate had it not been disabled. Loewen was taken into custody after his
38. Loewen left a letter dated December 11, 2013 for a family member describing
By the time you read this I will - if everything went as planned- have
been martyred in the path of Allah. There will have been an event at the
airport which I am responsible for. The operation was timed to cause
maximum carnage+ death. [ ... ] My only explanation is that I believe in
jihad for the sake of Allah + for the sake of my Muslim brothers + sisters.
[... ] Fact is, most Muslims in this country will condemn what I have done.
[... ] I expect to be called a terrorist (which I am), a psychopath, and a
homicidal maniac. [... ]
39. Based upon the above and foregoing information, which I affirm is true and
correct to the best of my information and belief, I respectfully submit probable cause exists
18, United States Code, Section 2332a(a)(2)(D); attempted use of an explosive device, in
violation of Title 21, United States Code, Section 844(i); and attempted material suppo~ ( C
foreign terrorist organization, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 2339B(a).
~c-
Stephen Cousineau, Special Agent
Federal Bureau of Investigation
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v.
Defendant.
CRIMINAL COMPLAINT
(U) I, Federal Bureau of Investigation Task Force Officer Mark P. Engholm, being duly
sworn, state the following is true and correct to the best of my knowledge and belief, and
establishes probable cause that the following offenses have been committed:
COUNT 1
On or about April 10, 2015, in the District of Kansas and elsewhere, the defendant,
destructive device as defined by Title 18, United States Code, Section 921, against property that
is owned, leased, and used by a department and agency of the United States, that is: Fort Riley,
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an active duty United States Army Installation located between Junction City and Manhattan,
Kansas.
COUNT 2
On or about April 10, 2015, in the District of Kansas and elsewhere, the defendant,
attempted to maliciously damage and destroy, by means of fire and explosives, buildings,
vehicles, and other personal and real property in whole or in part owned and possessed by, and
leased to, the United States and departments and agencies thereof.
COUNT 3
On or between March 10, 2015 and April 10, 2015, in the District of Kansas and
knowingly attempted to provide material support and resources, as that term is defined in Title
18, United States Code, Section 2339A(b), including property, services, and personnel, including
himself, to a foreign terrorist organization, namely, the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant
(“ISIL”), knowing that the organization was a designated terrorist organization, and that the
organization engages in and has engaged in and was engaging in terrorist activity and terrorism.
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information I received from other law enforcement officers, and/or from other individuals and
does not contain all facts known to me, but only those facts sufficient to establish probable
cause. Furthermore, statements of others, including those attributed to John T. Booker, Jr., are
1. I serve as a Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Task Force Officer and a Technical Trooper
with the Kansas Highway Patrol. I have served as a law enforcement officer since February
of 1994, attending both the Kansas Law Enforcement Training Center and the Kansas
Highway Patrol Academy. I am currently assigned to the FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force at
the Topeka, Kansas, Resident Agency, Kansas City Division. As a Task Force Officer, I hold
investigate violations of the laws of the United States, and I am a law enforcement officer
with authority to execute arrest, search, and seizure warrants under the authority of the
homicide, narcotic trafficking, crimes against children, counterterrorism, and other violent
Background
2. On October 15, 2004, the United States Secretary of State designated al Qa’ida in Iraq
(“AQI”), then known as Jam’at al Tawhid wa’al Jihad, as a Foreign Terrorist Organization
(“FTO”) under Section 219 of the Immigration and Nationality Act and as a Specially
1
Where quotes are used herein, affiant is relying on preliminary transcripts.
3
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Designated Global Terrorist under section 1(b) of Executive Order 13224. On May 15, 2014,
the Secretary of State amended the designation of AQI as a FTO under Section 219 of the
Immigration and Nationality Act and as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist entity under
section 1(b) of Executive Order 13224 to add the alias Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant
(“ISIL”) as its primary name. The Secretary also added the following aliases to the ISIL
listing: the Islamic State of Iraq and al Sham (“ISIS”), the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria
(“ISIS”), ad Dawla al Islamiyya fi al ‘Iraq wa sh Sham, Daesh, Dawla al Islamiya, and al Furqan
3. John T. Booker, Jr., a/k/a “Mohammed Abdullah Hassan,” (“Booker”) is a 20-year-old United
States citizen who is currently living in Topeka, Kansas. In or around February 2014, Booker
had been recruited by the United States Army in Kansas City, Missouri, and he was
4. On March 15, 2014, Booker publicly posted on Facebook: “I will soon be leaving you forever
so goodbye! I’m going to wage jihad and hopes that i die.” On March 19, 2014, Booker
rush!! I am so nervous. NOT because I’m scared to die but I am eager to meet my lord.”
That same day, the FBI became aware of Booker’s postings based on a citizen’s complaint.
The FBI was able to identify Booker based on the publically available content on his
Facebook account. On March 20, 2014, Booker was interviewed by FBI agents related to his
Facebook postings. After being advised of and waiving his Miranda rights, Booker admitted
that he enlisted in the United States Army with the intent to commit an insider attack
against American soldiers like Major Nidal Hassan had done at Fort Hood, Texas. Booker
4
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stated that if he went overseas and was told to kill a fellow Muslim, he would rather turn
around and shoot the person giving orders. Booker stated that he formulated several plans
for committing jihad once enlisted, including firing at other soldiers while at basic training at
the firing range or while at his pre-deployment military base after completing his initial
military training. Booker clarified that he did not intend to kill “privates,” but that he
instead wanted to target someone with power. Booker also said that he did not intend to
use large guns, but instead a small gun or a sword. Booker was subsequently denied entry
5. Since on or about October 8, 2014, Booker has engaged with an individual who is,
unbeknownst to Booker, an FBI Confidential Human Source (CHS 1). Booker has
repeatedly expressed to CHS 1 his desire to engage in violent jihad 2 on behalf of ISIL. For
example, during a face to face conversation on October 10, 2014, Booker told CHS 1 in
relevant part, that he: “was in jihad before, okay. I got captured. Okay, a long story
short the people at the Masjid don’t like me because I support al Qa’ida openly. I’m not
afraid, I was captured before . . . I was captured by FBI before . . . because I was with al
Qa’ida.” Booker stated that he “joined the United States Army” and he “hadn’t really
completed, I hadn’t really started . . . I was going to go in there and kill the American
soldier.” Booker told CHS 1 that he dreamt of being in the Middle East, and then he
showed CHS 1 a video on his phone of Muslims fighting American forces in Iraq. Booker
2
“Jihad” is an Arabic term meaning “holy war,” and while it has many different meanings, the defendant uses it to
mean violent jihad.
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said he dreamt about going with the fighters and wished he was with them. Booker told
CHS 1 that he had heard about Americans joining ISIL and that Booker wanted to join, but
6. On or about November 12, 2014, Booker continued to communicate to CHS 1 about his
desire to join ISIL. For example, Booker showed CHS 1 a video from YouTube about suicide
bombers and martyrs and told CHS 1 that the first time Booker had viewed it he wanted to
die a shaheed 3. Booker spoke with CHS 1 about how peaceful the martyrs look after they
die, and said he believes the bodies of martyrs do not decay after they die and that their
blood smells like musk. That same day, CHS 1 told Booker that he had a “cousin” (who is
also a FBI Confidential Human Source, hereinafter referred to as CHS 2) who could get
people overseas and asked Booker what he wanted to do. Booker answered,
“Anything. Anything you think is good. I will follow you.” CHS 1 explained that they don’t
take “just anybody.” CHS 1 told Booker that if Booker said he was ready to fight Booker
would have to prove it. Booker responded: “I will kill any kuffar 4. I will follow any place . .
. Wallahi 5, if I was with Daulah Islam 6(ISIL) and they said look, we are going to the White
House right now. Wallahi, I would go with them without any question.”
7. On or about December 18, 2014, Booker told CHS 1 about other terrorist activities he could
engage in before he travelled to Iraq, or in the event he could not go overseas. One of the
plans Booker proposed was to get a gun or a grenade and kill American soldiers at a local
3
“Shaheed” is an Arabic term meaning “martyr.” It is used as an honorific for Muslims who have died fulfilling a
religious commandment, including those who die while conducting “jihad”.
4
Kuffar or Kafir is a derogatory Arabic term commonly used to refer to non-Muslims.
5
Wallahi is an Arabic term meaning, “I swear to God.”
6
Daulah Islam is an Arabic term referring to ISIL.
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base (one of the closest military bases to where Booker resides is Fort Riley). Booker told
CHS 1 that this act is permitted because the Koran says to kill your enemies wherever they
are. Booker told CHS 1 that he believes American soldiers are the enemy of all true
Muslims. Booker also said that he had considered a plan to capture a high ranking military
officer and force him to say on video that ISIL is here in the United States so that “the
8. On or about February 3, 2015, during a conversation with CHS 1, Booker made reference to
a video called "The Flames of War7," and then explained that he wanted to produce a
propaganda video for ISIL. Booker stated that the video would threaten the American
people and warn them to get their family and friends to quit the military. Booker told CHS
1 that he wanted to film the video with a military base or notable landmark in the
background to show that ISIL is here in America. Booker suggested that they could capture
and kill an American soldier immediately after filming the video. Booker told CHS 1 that his
intent is to "scare this country" and to tell the people that “we will be coming after
American soldiers in the streets . . . we will be picking them off one by one.”
9. On or about March 9, 2015, while under FBI surveillance, CHS 1 introduced Booker to CHS 2,
who he explained was a high ranking sheik planning terrorist acts in the United States.
Booker told CHS 1 and CHS 2 that he had studied suicide bombing and was inspired by an
7
In September of 2014, ISIL released a 55 minute video narrated by an unidentified operative in Syria with an
American accent. The video, titled The Flames of War, was professionally edited and highlights the capture by ISIL
th
forces of the Syrian Army’s 17 Division base near Raqqah. During the video, captured Syrian soldiers are shown
digging their own graves and then being shot gruesomely point-blank in the head.
7
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American brother who he believed delivered a suicide bomb to a military base in Syria.
Booker told them that he heard a speech by the bomber, felt his words spoke directly to
10. That same day, Booker also told CHS 1 and CHS 2 that he believed ISIL wanted to bring the
fight back to Iraq. Booker said that the way to make that happen is to provoke the enemy
at home so they (the United States) will have to send soldiers back into Iraq. Booker said
the best way to do that is to hit the Army here (in the United States) so that Americans
know the battle is not just overseas. Booker told CHS 2 that he had been watching a video
of an American Syrian suicide bomber he called “Jihadi Joe.” Booker said he wanted to
build and detonate a truck bomb like Jihad Joe 8 did. Booker told CHS 2 that detonating a
suicide bomb is his number one aspiration because he couldn’t be captured, all evidence
would be destroyed, and he would be guaranteed to hit his target. CHS 2 asked Booker if he
had a target in mind. Booker said he knew of a military post in Manhattan, Kansas called
“the Big Red One.” 9 Booker suggested this post would be a good target because the post is
famous and there are a lot of soldiers stationed there 10. Booker said that if they had a
better target he was willing to go anywhere, and do anything, CHS 1 and CHS 2 asked him to
do. CHS 2 counseled Booker that he can only move forward with his (Booker’s) plan for the
8
In July of 2014, in a video posted to social media, a 22 year-old American citizen Monar Mohammad Abu-Salha-
nicknamed “Jihad Joe,” narrated a video in an effort to recruit westerners to join the Mujahedeen fighting in Syria.
After making the video, Abu-Salha appears to drive a suicide truck bomb, containing 16 tons of explosives, into a
Syrian army stronghold.
9
The “Big Red One” refers to the nickname of the U.S. Army’s 1st Infantry Division widely attributed to their
shoulder patch, which is a large red number one on a green background. The nickname became widely used after
the 1980 movie “The Big Red One” was released. The movie depicted soldiers’ experiences in the 1st Infantry
Division battles during World War I and II. The 1st Infantry Division is based at Fort Riley, Kansas.
10
During a meeting on March 26, 2015, Booker researched population data on the internet and told CHS 1 and CHS
2 that Fort Riley has a daytime population of approximately 25,000.
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sake of Allah, and that one cannot do it for any other person or reason. Booker responded
that he understood that he could only move forward with his (Booker’s) plan for the sake of
Allah, because he understood that on the Day of Judgment Allah will know and throw
anyone who lies into hell. CHS 2 counseled Booker that he must be truthful about his
intentions, and Booker assured him that he was doing this only because he (Booker)
Booker creates a video message purportedly in the name of ISIL near Fort Riley
11. On or about March 10, 2015, while under FBI surveillance, Booker, CHS 1 and CHS 2 traveled
together to Freedom Park near Marshall Army Airfield at Fort Riley, Kansas where CHS 2
took a video of Booker delivering an ISIL message that he (Booker) had written. Booker
opened his speech with a statement in Arabic and then switched to English. He gave his
bay'ah 11 to Abu Bakr Al Baghdadi (the leader of ISIL) and he encouraged all Muslims
watching the video to give bay'ah to Al Baghdadi and to support Al Baghdadi and ISIL
however they could. Booker then stated that ISIL would like to send a message:
to all the mothers, daughters, fathers, brothers, sisters and friends or loved ones
of . . . any soldier in the United States military. Get your kids out. Get your
loved ones out of the military. Because, wallahi, Dualah Islam12 is coming for
them. From inside, whether it be in their homes, whether it be on a base like
this, whether it be in the recruiting stations, whether it be in the streets . . .
Wallahi, we are coming for them and we seek their blood because their blood is
halal 13 for us to kill them.
11
Bay’ah is an Arabic term referring to the traditional oath of allegiance to a leader.
12
Dualah Islam is a known alias for ISIL.
13
Halal is an Arabic term meaning, lawful or permissible.
9
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12. On or about March 17, 2015, CHS 1 reported that Booker had called to tell him that he
(Booker) had rented a storage locker near his apartment in Topeka, Kansas. Previously, CHS
1 told Booker that he (CHS 1) may send him some items for Booker to hold until the next
time CHS 1 visited – perhaps a package or something in the mail. Booker told both CHS 1
and CHS 2 that his house was not safe to store things because he shares it with his cousin.
At that point, CHS 2 suggested that Booker may want to rent a storage locker.
13. On or about March 20, 2015, the FBI obtained a list a list of people who had rented storage
units at a particular location between March 1 and March 19, 2015. The list confirmed that
Booker had rented unit 7007, a 10'x20' unit at that location on March 17, 2015.
14. On or about March 25, 2015, CHS 1 met with Booker. During this meeting, CHS 1 told
Booker that he had been “selected” to accompany Booker on his suicide mission. CHS 1
provided Booker with a list of supplies that they needed to purchase in order to build the
bomb. Booker then directed CHS 1 to several local retailers where CHS 1 could purchase
the items. Booker asked CHS 1 if people would be able to figure out that they were
building a bomb based on what they were purchasing. CHS 1 replied “no” that people
wouldn’t know. While under FBI surveillance, CHS 1 and Booker traveled to several local
retailers and purchased several components that could be used to make a homemade
explosive device. From there, CHS 1 and Booker moved the components into Booker’s
rented storage unit. That same day, when discussing Booker’s plan, Booker told CHS 1 that
10
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he wanted to be the one to push the switch (meaning to detonate the explosives) when the
time came.
15. On or about March 26, 2015, Booker met with both CHS 1 and CHS 2 to gather information
about military targets in the area. Booker told CHS 1 and CHS 2 that they needed to blow it
up somewhere that would really hurt (the military). Booker said that he wanted to see the
fear in the kuffar’s eyes as he pushed the button and they ran for their lives. During this
meeting, Booker identified a primary and secondary route to travel from Topeka to Fort
Riley, as well as several locations and access gates near the southeast corner of Fort Riley
16. On or about April 8, 2015, while under FBI surveillance, Booker and CHS 1 removed the
items they (Booker and CHS 1) had purchased to construct the bomb from Booker’s storage
unit and transported them to a second storage unit where CHS 2 was waiting. The second
storage unit held a large amount of inert explosive material that Booker understood was to
be used to build their Vehicle Borne Improvised Explosive Device (“VBIED”). Pursuant to
Booker’s plan, Booker understood that CHS 1 and CHS 2 would build the VBIED, Booker and
CHS 1 would eventually deliver it to Fort Riley, and Booker would detonate the VBIED in a
suicide attack. CHS 1 and CHS 2 then provided Booker with a map of the area of Fort Riley
at Booker’s request. Booker used a marker to circle three potential target buildings and he
drew arrows depicting the potential routes that he (Booker) and CHS 1 could take through
the base to the buildings that he (Booker) had marked. Booker spoke with CHS 1 and CHS 2
about ensuring that all his debts were paid so that he could die a shaheed and enter
paradise. CHS 2 began to tell Booker that if the debt was an excuse and that if he (Booker)
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didn’t want to move forward with his (Booker’s) plan, but Booker cut him off and
repeatedly said “no” and “I still want to do this, wallah. It’s not like I am trying to get out of
this.” Booker went on to say “[i]t doesn’t matter, debts or not, I am going to do this Friday.”
17. That same day, Booker also made a second video inside the storage unit, in front of the
stack of (inert) explosive materials, to complement his earlier video filmed near Fort Riley.
Today, Inshallah, 14 we are going to build this bomb with 1,000 pounds of
Ammonium Nitrate. Inshallah, this will kill many kuffar. This message is to you
America. You sit in your homes and you think that this war is just over in Iraq . . .
Wallahi, we today we will bring the Islamic State straight to your doorstep. You
think this is just a game, wallahi when this bomb blows up and kills as many
kuffar as possible, maybe then you’ll realize it.
18. On or about April. 10, 2015, Booker and CHS 1 drove to a location near Junction City, Kansas
where they met CHS 2. CHS 2 met Booker and CHS 1 in the van in which CHS 2 had
purportedly constructed the VBIED. CHS 2 explained the function of the inert VBIED to
Booker and demonstrated how to arm the device. CHS 1 and Booker then drove the VBIED
to an area near Fort Riley that Booker believed to be a little used utility gate that would
allow them to enter Fort Riley undetected so that they could find an area to detonate the
VBIED that would kill as many soldiers as possible. While Booker was making final
connections to arm the inert VBIED at the gate, he was taken into custody without incident
14
“Inshallah” or “Insha’Allah” is an Arabic term meaning “God willing.”
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EXHIBIT B
Case
Case6:16-cr-10141-EFM
5:15-mj-05039-DDCDocument
Document
441-2
1 Filed
Filed
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10/29/18Page
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19. Based upon the above and foregoing information, which I affirm is true and correct to the
best of my knowledge and belief, I respectfully submit probable cause exists to support
charges of attempted use of a weapon of mass destruction, in violation of Title 18, United
States Code, Section 2332a(a)(3); attempted use of an explosive device, in violation of Title
18, United States Code, Section 844(f)(1); and attempted provision of material support to a
foreign terrorist organization, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 2339B(a).
s/ Mark P. Engholm
____________________________
Mark P. Engholm, Task Force Officer
Federal Bureau of Investigation
s/Daniel D. Crabtree
____________________________
Honorable Daniel D. Crabtree
United States District Judge
District of Kansas
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EXHIBIT B
Case 6:16-cr-10141-EFM Document 441-3 Filed 10/29/18 Page 1 of 2
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