A Topeka man has been sentenced to 15 months in federal prison for his role in a failed plot to detonate a vehicle bomb at Fort Riley military base, federal prosecutors announced Tuesday. Alexander E. Blair, 29, of Topeka, Kan., pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy in a scheme devised with co-defendant John T. Booker, Jr., 22, also of Topeka, to attack U.S. service members.
Blair admitted during a plea hearing that he knowingly conspired with Booker, who called himself Mohammed Abdullah Hassan online, sharing extremist views and providing financial support for the plot. He loaned Booker money specifically to rent a storage unit where bomb components were gathered. Blair was aware that the target was Fort Riley near Manhattan, Kan., and that the intent was to “kill as many soldiers as possible.”
When questioned by law enforcement after his arrest, Blair showed no remorse, stating of the military personnel targeted: “That’s what they signed (up) for.” His chilling remark underscored the callousness behind the conspiracy, which never reached execution thanks to an FBI-led investigation that began in March 2014.
Booker came under federal scrutiny after making online declarations of his desire to wage jihad and die as a martyr. He was arrested April 10, 2015, and charged with attempting to use a weapon of mass destruction and two other counts. In a subsequent plea deal, he pleaded guilty to one count of attempted use of a weapon of mass destruction and one count of attempted destruction of government property. Booker is currently awaiting sentencing.
Despite recognizing that Booker was serious about carrying out the attack, Blair did nothing to alert authorities. His inaction, combined with active support through funding and shared ideology, formed the basis of the conspiracy charge. The bomb plot was thwarted before any device could be assembled or detonated, but the intent was clear and the threat credible.
Acting U.S. Attorney Tom Beall praised the FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force and federal prosecutors, including Assistant U.S. Attorneys Tony Mattivi and David Smith of the District of Kansas, and Trial Attorneys Josh Parecki and Rebecca Magnone of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section, for their relentless work in dismantling the plot and holding both men accountable.
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