A Topeka man was sentenced Monday to 30 years in prison for attempting to detonate a vehicle bomb on Fort Riley on April 10, 2015.
On Feb. 3, 2016, John T. Booker, Jr., now 22, pleaded guilty to one count of attempted use of a weapon of mass destruction and one count of attempted destruction of government property by fire or explosion.
In a press release from the U.S. Department of Justice, FBi Special Agent in Charge Darrin Jones stated that “the investigation leading to today’s sentencing illustrates the FBI’s commitment to disrupting acts of terrorism. If Mr. Booker had been successful in detonating a car bomb, the results could have been dozens, if not hundreds, of casualties. The FBI and our law enforcement partners remain committed to protecting the citizens of the United States and thwarting acts of terrorism.”
In his guilty plea, Booker admitted he intended to kill American soldiers and to assist the Islamic State’s fight against the U.S. His plan called for constructing a bomb containing 1,000 pounds of ammonium nitrate. Booker intended to trigger the bomb himself and die in the process, and filmed a video he intended Americans to see after his death. “You sit in your homes and think this war is just over in Iraq,” Booker said in the video. “Today we will bring the Islamic State straight to your doorstep.” Unbeknownst to Booker, the bomb that he constructed was made with inert materials, and the two men working with him were undercover informants for the FBI.
The FBI began investigating Booker in March 2014 after he posted on his Facebook page that he wanted to commit jihad.
