A 21-year-old Texas man who authorities say provided bomb materials and money to people he believed were affiliated with ISIS has been federally charged with international terrorism, the US Department of Justice announced Monday.
Axar.az reports, citing AP, John Michael Garza Jr. of Midlothian, Texas, is accused of giving bomb-making materials to an undercover federal agent who he believed was an “ISIS brother,” the Justice Department said.
The Dec. 22 sting operation came after an undercover New York City Police Department employee found a social media account belonging to Garza that followed several accounts supporting ISIS, authorities said.
The New York employee began messaging with Garza in October, and the Justice Department said Garza soon shared that he “ascribed to the ISIS ideology.” Garza is accused of sending the undercover employee small amounts of cryptocurrency in November and December, allegedly believing his money was supporting ISIS.
During the Dec. 22 meeting, investigators say Garza described to an undercover FBI agent how to mix explosives he provided and offered to share an instructional video on bomb-making. Garza was arrested shortly after he left the meeting.