A soldier stationed at Fort Riley was charged in federal court with sending over social media instructions for making bombs
September 24th, 2019https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/6427418-Smith-Press-Release-Kansas.html
NEWS RELEASE OFFICE OF UNITED STATES ATTORNEY STEPHEN MCALLISTER DISTRICT OF KANSAS Contact Jim Cross, Public Affairs ! (316) 269-6481 ! 301 N. Main, Suite 1200 ! Wichita, KS 67202 www.usdoj.gov/usao/ks Sept. 23, 2019 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Soldier at Fort Riley Charged With Distributing Instructions for Bombs
TOPEKA, KAN. B A soldier stationed at Fort Riley was charged in federal court here today with sending over social media instructions for making bombs, U.S. Attorney Stephen McAllister said.
Jarrett William Smith, 24, Fort Riley, Kan., was charged with one count of distributing information related to explosives and weapons of mass destruction.
Smith, a private first class infantry soldier, joined the Army June 12, 2017, and was transferred to Fort Riley, Kan., on July 8, 2019. According to an FBI investigator’s affidavit, Smith said on Facebook he was interested in traveling to the Ukraine to fight with a paramilitary group called the Azov Batallion.
During a Facebook chat, Smith offered to teach other Facebook users to make cell phone explosive devices “in the style of the Afghans.” On Aug. 19, 2019, Smith told an undercover investigator he was looking for “radicals” like himself. Smith talked about killing members of Antifa and destroying nearby cell towers or a local news station. On Aug. 21, Smith told an undercover investigator about how to make a vehicle bomb. When the
investigator commented that most of the components were household items, Smith said: “Making AK47s out of expensive parts is cool, but imagine if you will if you were going to WalMart instead of a gun store to buy weapons.”
Smith also described in detail to the undercover investigator how to build a bomb that could be triggered by calling a cell phone.
“Be very careful with the fully armed device,” Smith warned the investigator.
If convicted, Smith could face up to 20 years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000. The FBI investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Tony Mattivi is prosecuting.
In all cases, defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. The indictments merely contain allegations of criminal conduct.