A Pittsburgh man who planned to bomb a local church pleaded guilty Thursday to attempting to provide material support to ISIS.
Mustafa Mousab Alowemer, 23, was arrested in 2019 after an FBI investigation that exposed his plan.
According to investigators, the FBI became aware of Alowemer after his social media posts expressed interest in ISIS and asked for a weapon with a silencer. He later detailed his plan to a person who he believed to be a fellow ISIS supporter, but was actually an undercover FBI agent.
During these conversations, Alowemer stated his support for ISIS, gave the undercover agent instructions related to the construction and use of explosive devices and provided a 10-point handwritten document outlining his plan, which included maps identifying the Legacy International Worship Center on the North Side.
"Inspired by ISIS, Mustafa Alowemer devised and intended to carry out a deadly attack on a house of worship and its congregation," said Acting U.S. Attorney Stephen R. Kaufman for the Western District of Pennsylvania. "If not for the tireless, multi-faceted investigation by the FBI and our partner agencies, the true depth of his determination to commit violence in the name of ISIS may not have been exposed until his deadly plans were achieved."
Alowemer faces a maximum of 20 years in prison, a $250,000 and a lifetime term of supervised release. Sentencing is scheduled for Jan. 26.
