Akron man arrested on terrorism charge, accused of soliciting the killing of military members

[lostinblue 1,989]

Akron man arrested on terrorism charge, accused of soliciting the killing of military members

November 12, 2015 at 1:19 PM, updated November 13, 2015 at 11:40 AM

AKRON, Ohio — The FBI arrested an Akron man on a terrorism-related charge Thursday, accusing him of soliciting the killing of members of the military in the name of an Islamic extremist group.

Terrence McNeil, 25, is charged with one count of solicitation of a crime of violence. He appeared Thursday in federal court, shackled and dressed in a white T-shirt and blue gym shorts.

Magistrate Judge Kathleen Burke signed the warrant for McNeil's arrest on Wednesday. The FBI arrested McNeil the following morning at his apartment on Eastgay Drive.

In a criminal complaint, agents say McNeil has expressed his support for the Islamic State, a terrorist group also known as ISIS or ISIL. In supporting ISIS, McNeil posted a file online that contained the names and addresses of people believed to be the members of the military, the complaint states. Included in the file is a message encouraging people to kill those people.

(To read the complaint filed against him, click here or scroll to the bottom of the story.)

U.S. Attorney Steven Dettelbach, in an interview Thursday afternoon, said this was not an isolated incident, though, as McNeil had posted several statements and had taken an "intentional series of actions" that led up to his criminal offense.

"It's important to say also, to be very clear, these individuals are on their own and don't represent any group and don't represent any religion," Dettelbach said of McNeil and others who have faced similar charges. "Ohio's Arab and Muslim neighbors are important parts of our community."

Steven Anthony, the special agent in charge for the FBI's Cleveland office, said in a news release that "while we aggressively defend First Amendment rights, the individual arrested went far beyond free speech by reposting names and addresses of 100 U.S. service members, all with the intent to have them killed."

Burke, at Thursday's hearing, ordered that McNeil, who has no criminal convictions, remain in custody until a hearing next week.

His attorney, Nathan Ray, declined to comment.

According to the complaint:

The solicitation McNeil is charged with happened on Sept. 24, when he posted a file to his page on the social media website Tumblr that was called "Leak: Addresses of 100 US Military Personnel." One of the slides in the file reads:

"O Brothers in America, know that the jihad against the crusaders is not limited to the lands of the Khilafah, it is a world-wide jihad and their war is not just a war against the Islamic State, it is a war against Islam...Know that it is wajib [translated to "necessary"] for you to kill these kuffar! and now we have made it easy for you by giving you addresses, all you need to do is take the final step, so what are you waiting for? Kill them in their own lands, behead them in their own homes, stab them to death as they walk their streets thinking that they are safe..."

The file then loops several dozen photographs, believed to be of U.S. military personnel, along with their respective names, addresses and military branches.

The final image in the file shows a photo of a handgun and a knife with a note that says "and kill them wherever you find them...."

However, McNeil's public support of ISIS went back farther than that. He declared his support for ISIS on Tumblr in June.

Other posts on his Tumblr page include a July 16 post in which he wrote "May Allah (SWT) accept our brother Muhammad Youssef Abdulazeez."

This was in reference to a man who killed four Marines and one sailor in Chattanooga, Tennesee, before being killed by a police officer.

He also created several Twitter accounts with a photo of several masked individuals wearing ballistic vests and carrying assault rifles, with the phrase "And the disbelievers planned, Allah planned. And Allah is the best of planners."

He also tweeted statements such as "Just thinking about getting martyred puts a smile on my face."

Twitter suspended his accounts, but McNeil created new ones.

McNeil also professed his allegiance to ISIL on his Facebook page, posting statements such as "I can't wait for another 9/11, Boston bombing, or Sandy Hook!!!" and "I'll be proud when I sled [sic] american blood."

The FBI staked out his home on Oct. 13 and determined that he made the posts both from his apartment and when he was in public.

A family friend and a woman who identified herself as McNeil's mother sat in the courtroom's viewing area on Thursday. After the hearing, both mother and son mouthed words to each other before members of the U.S. Marshals Service escorted McNeil out of the courtroom.

His mother declined to comment after the hearing.

This is the second terrorism-related suspect arrested in northeast Ohio this year. Amir Al-Ghazi, a Sheffield Lake man, was charged in July with buying a gun in order to support ISIS.

Dettelbach said the Islamic State and those radicalized by its message can be found anywhere where people have access to the Internet.

Updated with quotes and information from the complaint. Reporter Adam Ferrise contributed to this story.

http://www.cleveland.com/court-justice/index.ssf/2015/11/akron_man_arrested_on_terroris.html

[Dakine10 5,452]

"It's important to say also, to be very clear, these individuals are on their own and don't represent any group and don't represent any religion," Dettelbach said of McNeil and others who have faced similar charges. "Ohio's Arab and Muslim neighbors are important parts of our community."

Interesting concept.

[lostinblue 1,989]

Interesting concept.

Paris is America’s dry run.

[Dakine10 5,452]

Paris is America’s dry run.

150+ people died. It wasn't anyone's dry run.

[lostinblue 1,989]

150+ people died. It wasn't anyone's dry run.

ISIS wants to do an attack like Paris here in the United States . They have said that is what they intend . Paris is just a training exercise .

This fellow in Ohio does not look like he was one of the dregs of society . . ISIS is just looking for people like him to pull off the deed . Converts no one would suspect.

[Expat1 971]

American Muslims are peaceful. You guys are smokin' again

[lostinblue 1,989]

American Muslims are peaceful. You guys are smokin' again

What happens in Paris stays in Paris ...Right

[The Nature Boy 7,659]

American Muslims are peaceful. You guys are smokin' again

Not sure why the press picks in mooslims

[Expat1 971]

Not sure why the press picks in mooslims

I know I know he looked funny at a cop. He's really a victim of the system.

Edited November 14, 2015 by Expat1

[Janelle2002 3,865]

150+ people died. It wasn't anyone's dry run.

Some people lack empathy, sympathy and basic emotions that could make a person human. Don't be surprised when certain people don't agree with your view and view the killing of 150+ as minimum, casual loss of life.

[Dakine10 5,452]

Some people lack empathy, sympathy and basic emotions that could make a person human. Don't be surprised when certain people don't agree with your view and view the killing of 150+ as minimum, casual loss of life.

I'd like to see Lost explain to the victims' families how it was just a "dry run". SMH.

[Boiler 47,775]

Lovin the religion of peace.

[Expat1 971]

Hard to disengage from that troubling "I" in ISIL

[The Nature Boy 7,659]

Hard to disengage from that troubling "I" in ISIL

It has nothing to do with Religion. ???

Yes there are people that stupid .

[Expat1 971]

It has nothing to do with Religion. ???

Yes there are people that stupid .

Only a couple by my count. Quarter of the world is Islamic, waiting patiently to hear about the peaceful Islamic utopia that I am positive is out there somewhere.