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Posted by
Olog-hai
on Mon May 2 22:49:18 2016
fiogf49gjkf0d South Florida Sun-Sentinel
Hollywood man accused of plot to blow up Aventura synagogueBy Paula McMahon
May 2, 2016 6:16 PMA Hollywood man's planned explosive attack on a synagogue in Aventura was thwarted by an FBI undercover operation that involved a fake bomb, federal authorities said Monday.
James Gonzalo Medina, 40, was arrested Friday night as he walked toward the synagogue with what he thought was an explosive device in his hand, prosecutors said.
He appeared in federal court Monday afternoon in Miami, accused of attempting to use a weapon of mass destruction to blow up the Aventura Turnberry Jewish Center, 20400 NE 30th Ave., during Friday night services.
The suspect seemed to want to make a speech in court but was shut down by U.S. Magistrate Judge William Turnoff.
"I've got a few words of my own. … My name is James Medina, also known as James Muhammad," Medina told the judge.
The judge warned him anything he said could be used against him.
Prosecutor Marc Anton told the judge Medina discussed his "interest in conducting an attack" on the synagogue. Those conversations, in March and April, were with someone who was secretly cooperating with the FBI, prosecutors said. Medina talked about "obtaining a bomb he could either place under a car or throw it over the wall," Anton said in court.
The cooperating witness eventually provided Medina with something he thought was an explosive device, though it was a fake bomb, authorities said.
Medina, who was listed at several addresses in Broward and Miami-Dade counties in the last few years, has been locked up at the Federal Detention Center in Miami since shortly after his arrest.
If convicted, Medina faces a maximum penalty of life in federal prison. He has not yet been formally charged and has not indicated if he plans to fight the allegations against him.
Investigators said Medina claimed he converted to Islam about four years ago and that he planned to make the attack look like it was conducted by a terrorist organization, such as ISIS.
He came to the attention of the FBI when someone reported he had talked about attacking a synagogue in South Florida, authorities said.
Medina expressed anti-Semitic views and said he planned to attack the synagogue during Passover, investigators wrote. He said he was comfortable with causing innocent casualties, including the deaths of women and children, authorities said.
While preparing for the proposed attack, Medina visited and "studied the synagogue property to assess its vulnerabilities," prosecutors said.
Medina told acquaintances he wanted to make himself a "martyr" and he hoped news coverage of his planned attack would inspire other terrorist attacks, authorities said.
Medina also recorded a number of videos, investigators said, saying goodbye to his family and making threats.
"I am a Muslim and I don't like what is going on in this world. I'm going to handle business here in America. Aventura, watch your back. ISIS is in the house," agents reported he said in one of the videos.
After his arrest, investigators said Medina confessed.
On Monday, the judge ordered Medina will remain locked up at least until a detention hearing Thursday morning where the prosecution and defense can make their arguments. Prosecutors said Medina is a danger to the public and a flight risk.
Medina said in court that he is out of work, divorced and has no significant assets. The judge appointed the Federal Public Defender's Office to represent him. Office policy prohibits assistant federal public defenders from commenting on pending cases.
Congregation leaders, including Rabbi Jonathan Berkun, wrote that the the synagogue and affiliated school were operating as normal Monday.
"The leadership of our congregation has been briefed by law enforcement and Jewish community security officials about this situation. They assured us that the synagogue and school were never at risk at any time during the investigation and arrest, and that there are no credible threats directed against us at the present time," they wrote.
Medina has a number of prior arrests, including one in August 2012 when he was accused of sending violent threats via text message to a Coral Springs family.
The family reported their concerns to Coral Springs police and an officer contacted Medina, the Sun Sentinel reported.
An officer called Medina, who told him, "It's going down," and then hung up the phone, according to court records.
The family obtained a restraining order against Medina but police said he continued to send them disturbing messages — about 50 text messages in just a few days.
One text read: "By next week, Ima bomb ya [curse word] … Bring him! I will buy a gun [off] the street and rampage [family member's] church. Murder she wrote," according to the 2012 affidavit.
"Look & see how Im gonna get u back, u will be sorry. I'll be smiling behind bars. I don't mind going to jail for this," Medina also wrote, according to court records.
At the time, Medina said he was a glazier and lifelong resident of South Florida. He was released on bond and the felony aggravated stalking charge against him was later dropped by prosecutors, court records show.
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