Toledo synagogue attack plot

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Toledo synagogue attack plot
Location Toledo, Ohio, United States
Date7 December 2018
TargetCongregation B'nai Israel
Temple Shomer Emunim 2018
Deaths0
Injured0
ConvictedDamon Joseph
VerdictGuilty
Convictions20 years
ChargesOne count of attempting to provide material support to the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS)

The Toledo synagogue attack plot was a plot to attack two synagogues in Toledo, Ohio. A suspect, Damon Joseph, was arrested on December 7, 2018, in Holland, Ohio, and was charged with attempting to provide material support to ISIS. [1]

Contents

Plan

The two synagogues Joseph allegedly planned to attack were Congregation B’nai Israel, (Conservative) and Temple Shomer Emunim, (Reform) Both synagogues are located on the campus of the Jewish Community Center campus in Sylvania, Ohio. [2]

Joseph was arrested on 7 December and charged with one count of attempting to provide material support to ISIS. In September 2021 he was sentenced to 20 years in prison, and is currently serving his sentence at Federal Correctional Institution, McKean. [3]

Radicalization

Joseph was radicalized online. [4] He used Abdullah Ali Yusuf as an alternative name. [5]

Criminal history

Investigators began to correspond with Joseph in September 2018, posing as ISIS agents, after images of knives and firearms on his social media accounts drew concern. [6] As one of his social media photos had been originally distributed by the media wing of ISIS. [7] [8] He allegedly told undercover agents that he was inspired by the Pittsburgh synagogue shooting, and he admired the shooter, [1] stating that; "My opinion is that Jews are evil and they get what's coming to them." [9]

On December 2, 2018, he sent details of his plan to an undercover agent, to carry out an attack on at least one Toledo synagogue, and added notes of what types of weapons and ammunition to gather, when to attack and how to escape or shoot out with police. [7] On December 7, he met with an undercover agent and took a black duffel bag containing two semiautomatic rifles that had been rendered inoperable by officials, he was then arrested. [10] His connection to ISIS was highlighted in a statement released by Assistant Attorney General for National Security John C. Demers, where he claimed Joseph's actions were allegedly inspired by ISIS's call to violence and hate and that Joseph planned the attack in the name of ISIS. [11]

References

  1. 1 2 Li, David K. (December 10, 2018). "An alleged ISIS supporter and a woman accused of planning a terror attack arrested in Ohio". NBC News. Archived from the original on December 10, 2018. Retrieved December 11, 2018.
  2. ↑ Hedapohl, Jackie (December 20, 2018). "Terror Threat Near Toledo". The Detroit Jewish News. Archived from the original on December 20, 2018. Retrieved December 20, 2018.
  3. ↑ "Man Sentenced to 20 Years in Prison for Attempting to Provide Material Support to ISIS and Attempting to Commit a Hate Crime". The United States Department of Justice. Retrieved January 21, 2022.
  4. ↑ Snyder, Kate; Lindstrom, Lauren (December 17, 2018). "Suspects in Toledo plots found extremist communities online". Toledo Blade . Archived from the original on December 18, 2018. Retrieved December 24, 2018.
  5. ↑ Joscelyn, Thomas (December 11, 2018). "Ohio man allegedly inspired by Anwar al-Awlaki, Islamic State". Long War Journal. Retrieved May 9, 2019.
  6. ↑ Morales, Mark (December 10, 2018). "Synagogue, pipeline were targeted by Ohioans arrested in terror plots, officials say". CNN. Archived from the original on December 11, 2018. Retrieved December 11, 2018.
  7. 1 2 Snyder, Kate (December 10, 2018). "Man, woman arrested in Ohio for plotting massacres; one said he admired accused Tree of Life shooter". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Archived from the original on December 11, 2018. Retrieved December 11, 2018.
  8. ↑ Lindstrom, Lauren; Snyder, Kate (December 16, 2018). "Couple accused of plotting attack left trail of breadcrumbs in dark corners of the Internet". Toledo Blade. Archived from the original on December 17, 2018. Retrieved December 18, 2018.
  9. ↑ Pegues, Jeff (December 10, 2018). "Feds bust 2 people for separate alleged terror plots in Ohio". www.cbsnews.com. Archived from the original on December 11, 2018. Retrieved December 11, 2018.
  10. ↑ Rosenberg, Eli (December 10, 2018). "I can see myself carrying out this operation.' Feds say man was planning synagogue attack for ISIS". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on December 11, 2018. Retrieved December 11, 2018.
  11. ↑ "Ohio man arrested and charged in federal court after planning an attack on a synagogue in the Toledo area". www.justice.gov. December 10, 2018. Archived from the original on December 15, 2018. Retrieved December 11, 2018.

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