Authorities say in discussions with someone who he believed to be an associate of al Qaeda, but who was really an undercover FBI agent, Pitts talked about conducting a terrorist attack in downtown Cleveland on July 4th. He had canvassed downtown, specifically the U.S. Coast Guard station and Voinovich Park, in recent days. In conversation with the undercover agent, Pitts said he wanted to use a van to set off an explosion.
“I did tell myself that their holiday is coming…what would hit them in the core?” Pitts allegedly told the agent. “Blow up, have a bomb. Blow up at the fourth of July parade.”
During a press conference, officials declined to say whether he had possession of explosives, access to explosives, or knowledge of explosives, and couldn’t say whether he had any contact or communication with actual members of al Qaeda.
Pitts is a U.S. citizen who authorities say was radicalized in this country. He first appeared on their radar after a tip about his vocal support for al Qaeda and his violent intentions against service members and law enforcement. Pitts’ Facebook account, officials said, was littered with such threats and statements. The investigation began in 2017 out of the Cincinnati FBI office, where Pitts was living at the time. After he moved to Maple Heights, the Cleveland office took over the investigation.
The FBI arranged for an undercover agent to be introduced to Pitts to see if there was a credible threat. Last week, during an in-person meeting, Pitts talked about a July 4th attack and then scouted locations. He also expressed a desire to commit a possible future attack in Philadelphia.
Pitts was arrested yesterday Sunday morning. He’ll appear in court later this afternoon and faces 20 years in prison.
This article appears in Jun 27 – Jul 3, 2018.
“I did tell myself that their holiday is coming…what would hit them in the core?” Pitts allegedly told the agent. “Blow up, have a bomb. Blow up at the Fourth of July parade.”
What parade? Downtown Cleveland has a parade? On the 4th? There hasn’t been one downtown on the actual holiday for as long as I have lived in this city, and that’s now been over 25 years.
Was he talking about the Cleveland Orchestra event, which is never held on July 4th? It’s on the 6th this year. Did this jamoke even know about that? What if you wanted to blow up a parade and nobody came?
Unless he actually had explosives, or could obtain them, and knew how to use them, this bozo will probably face the possibility of spending twenty years in jail for talking out of his posterior orifice.
What was? What are you yammering about now, you mope?
More coverage on this story claims this man was planning to attack St. John’s Catholic Cathedral as it would kill many “kuffars” (non-believers of Islam).
St. John’s has a parade on July 4th? Yeah, right.
Hey, Spamming Troll, wanna buy my bridge to Ontario?
For you, such a deal!
Free Tommy. Free Speech.
Okay. But who the hell is Tommy?