KANSAS CITY, Kan. — A 21-year-old man who pleaded not guilty to charges that he plotted to bomb an Army installation in Kansas in support of the Islamic State group is scheduled to change his plea.
John T. Booker Jr. filed a motion Wednesday asking for a change-of-plea hearing, and a judge scheduled one for Jan. 12.
No written explanation was accessible Thursday among the case’s online records, and a message left with a Booker public defender, Kirk Redmond, wasn’t immediately returned.
Booker, of Topeka, Kansas, is charged with attempting to use a weapon of mass destruction, attempting to use an explosive device and attempt to provide material support to a terrorist group. If convicted, he could face life in prison.
Court documents show Booker was arrested in April while trying to arm what he thought was a 1,000-pound bomb inside a van near Fort Riley, about an hour west of Topeka.
Prosecutors allege Booker told an FBI informant he wanted to kill Americans and engage in violent jihad on behalf of the Islamic State group. A Muslim cleric who counseled Booker at the FBI’s request has said he suffers from bipolar disorder.
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