Homegrown Jihadi Plotted Attack in Springfield, Illinois

From the Journal-Register:

A 29-year-old Decatur man arrested on charges of attempted murder of a federal employees and attempting to use explosives to detonate a vehicle bomb at the federal building downtown Springfield had his first court appearance this afternoon at that very building.

Michael C. Finton, also known as “Talib Islam,” according to a statement from federal prosecutors, appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Byron Cudmore and waived his right to a detention hearing. He remains in custody.

Federal officials allege that on Wednesday, Finton drove a van containing what he thought was explosive material and parked it directly in front of the northwest corner of the Paul Findley Federal Building. He got out of the van, locked the door and got into another vehicle driven by an undercover FBI officer and drove away. Within a few blocks of the federal building, Finton made a cell phone call to remotely detonate the purported bomb,” officials said.

He was arrested immediately after he attempted to detonate the device.

Finton allegedly wanted to kill as many people as possible while also taking out Congressman Aaron Schock (R-Peoria) in his office.

Finton works as a cook and is a big fan of John Walker Lindh, the American Taliban currently in prison. Reportedly, Finton became a Muslim terrorist in prison and expressed a desire to go overseas to become a jihadist fighter.

Companion post at The Jawa Report.