A New York City man accused of plotting a terrorist attack on Times Square spent months trying to stockpile guns and grenades, heaped praise on the Islamic State group and Osama bin Laden, and feared being known as the "Looney Tunes Terrorist" if his glasses fell off and he couldn't shoot straight, federal prosecutors said today.
Ashiqul Alam was arrested yesterday after arranging through an undercover agent to buy a pair of semiautomatic pistols with obliterated serial numbers, prosecutors said. Police Commissioner James O'Neill said that development was "a clear indicator of (Alam's) intent to move his plot forward."
Despite the grave allegations, the 22-year-old Alam is charged only with offences [sic] related to the gun transaction. He did not enter a plea at an arraignment yesterday and was ordered jailed without bail. Prosecutors argued he was a flight risk and a danger to the community.
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Court documents describe months of plotting for an attack Alam told an undercover agent would make them "legends."
Alam spoke of plotting to kill civilians and law enforcement officers in Times Square and targeting a senior government official in Washington, according to the documents.
He talked about wanting to "shoot down" gays, referring to them with a slur; using a "rocket launcher, like a huge one," to cause havoc at the World Trade Centre; and obtaining an enhanced driver's licence so he could walk onto a military base and "blow it up," the documents said.
Alam, born in Bangladesh, moved to the US as a child about 12 years ago and has been living in Queens as a legal permanent resident, prosecutors said.
Unverified and likely inaccurate representation of the suspect, Ashiqul Alam.
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