The Dominican Republic-born al-Qaeda sympathizer and Muslim convert charged with building a pipe bomb to attack police, soldiers and other government, has been indicted on terror charges, according to a report filed Wednesday.
According to the Associated Press, the indictment accuses Jose Pimentel, 27, of the initial terror charges against him, weapons possession and conspiracy of terror crimes. It also includes attempted weapons possession as a terror crime.
The indictment states that Pimentel:
“attempted to build explosive devices as part of his plan to use violence to influence the foreign policy of the United States government by intimidation and coercion, specifically by committing acts of violence against United States military personnel and others.”
Pimentel was arrested on November 19 after an informant recorded conversations with him indicating his intentions to set-off pipe bombs in New York City.
His lawyers, Lori Cohen and Susan J. Walsh, called the case one of “police overreaching” and a self-serving informant who honed in on a broke, lonely and curious 27-year-old.
“This case, whatever it is, certainly is not terrorism,” they said in a statement.
Pimentel is currently being held without bail and is scheduled to be arraigned next month, court records show.
