Phoenix man accused of planning ISIS-inspired terror attack released on bail
Mar 24, 2017, 11:02 AM | Updated: 2:41 pm
This undated photo released by the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office shows Derrick Thompson of Phoenix. Authorities say Thompson, arrested on Tuesday, Dec. 20, 2016, expressed support for the Islamic State group online, researched "lone wolf" attacks and attempted to illegally buy a gun on Jan. 26, 2015, according to court documents. (Maricopa County Sheriff's Office via AP)
(Maricopa County Sheriff's Office via AP)
PHOENIX — A 30-year-old Phoenix man accused of plotting to carry out a “lone wolf” attack inspired by the Islamic State has been released from jail after posting bail.
Court documents showed Derrick Thompson was released March 14 on a $75,000 bond.
Terms of his release include a requirement to wear an electronic monitoring device.
Thompson, aka Abu Talib al-Amriki, pleaded not guilty to charges of assisting a criminal syndicate, attempting to commit misconduct involving weapons and inciting or inducing a criminal syndicate in January.
Court documents said Thompson tried to buy a semi-automatic weapon online in January 2015, but the seller sold the gun to someone else because Thompson was not in Phoenix at the time.
A probable cause statement filed in state court said it was clear Thompson attempted to buy a weapon “with the intent to use that weapon to promote or further the objectives of a criminal syndicate.”
Police also found that Thompson, who is not legally permitted to purchase a gun due to a felony conviction, had online postings dating back to July 2014 in support of ISIS and had “hundreds” of Google searches for weapons.
He also had searched for “midnight mass” and the difference between martyrdom and suicide.
Thompson was labeled as an “avowed jihadist” by court documents and had numerous interactions with ISIS websites.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
