(MENAFN- Kuwait News Agency (KUNA)) Terry Lee Loewen, 59, pleaded guilty on Monday for attempting to explode a car bomb at an airport in Wichita, Kansas, where he was employed.
"In his plea, Loewen admitted he came to the attention of the FBI late in May 2013 when he became a Facebook friend of a person who was posting comments advocating violent jihad. The FBI began communicating with Loewen through an undercover employee," said a statement from the Department of Justice.
"After Loewen expressed his desire to engage in violent jihad, the undercover employee offered to introduce him to someone who could help him do it," it added.
Loewen told the undercover agent that he was waiting for "the green light from Allah" to carry out the violent attack and said he was inspired by the teachings of Osama bin Laden and Anwar Al-Awlaki.
In October 2013, Loewen met another undercover FBI agent who he believed was a "brother" and would help him blow up a plane. Loewen assisted the agent in the final assembly of an explosive device. He was not aware that the device was made with inactive materials. He was then arrested upon getting to the airport and using his card reader to gain access to its facilities.
Loewen's sentencing will be at a later date. Both parties have agreed to a recommended sentence of 20 years in federal prision, the statement affirmed.
Legal Disclaimer:
MENAFN provides the information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.