DALLAS \u2013 A 21-year-old Texas man who authorities say provided bomb materials and money to people he believed were affiliated with the Islamic State group has been federally charged with international terrorism, the U.S. Department of Justice announced Monday.<\/p>\n
John Michael Garza Jr. of Midlothian, Texas, is accused of giving bomb-making materials to an undercover federal agent who he believed was an \u201cISIS brother,\u201d the Justice Department said, using a different abbreviation for the Islamic State group.<\/p>\n
No attorney was listed for Garza in court records and the federal public defender\u2019s office in Dallas did not immediately respond to phone messages seeking comment. If convicted, Garza could face up to 20 years in federal prison. <\/p>\n
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 the Islamic State group, authorities said.<\/p>\n
The New York employee began messaging with Garza in October, and the Justice Department said Garza soon shared that he \u201cascribed to the ISIS ideology.\u201d Garza is accused of sending the undercover employee small amounts of cryptocurrency in November and December, allegedly believing his money was supporting the Islamic State group.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
\u201cToday\u2019s announcement underscores the FBI\u2019s commitment to combatting terrorism and demonstrates our continuous work to disrupt and thwart terrorist plots against the American public,\u201d FBI Director Kash Patel said in a statement. \u201cLet this serve as a warning to those who plan to conduct attacks against the United States on behalf of terrorist organizations \u2013 you will be brought to justice.\u201d<\/p>\n
Garza made an initial court appearance on Dec. 23 in U.S. District Court for Northern Texas. Federal prosecutors are expected to lay out their evidence against him at a probable cause and detention hearing on Tuesday.<\/p>\n
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