The 2005 Los Angeles bomb plot was a 2005 effort by a group of ex-convicts calling themselves Jamiyyat Ul-Islam Is-Saheeh to bomb several military bases, a number of synagogues, and an Israeli consulate in California.
Contents
On 31 August 2005, Kevin James and three other men were indicted on terrorism charges related to conspiracy to attack military facilities in the Los Angeles area and of attempting to fund their campaign by robbing gas stations in Southern California over the previous three months. Kevin James, a Muslim convert, was accused of founding a radical Islamic group called J.I.S (Jam’iyyat Ul-Islam Is-Saheehجمعية الإسلام الصحيح , Arabic for "Assembly of Authentic Islam") from his cell in Folsom Prison in California, and of recruiting fellow inmates to join his mission to kill infidels.
The announcement of the arrests was made by the Attorney-General Alberto Gonzales in the presence of the director of the FBI Robert Mueller in Washington D.C. Robert Mueller mentioned the incident in a "Major Executive Speech" in June 2006 on the day that the 2006 Sears Tower plot was announced. The Deputy Assistant Director of the FBI outlined the case in his congressional testimony in September 2006.
Background
The attack is one in a series of Islam-related attacks and failed attacks by Muslims on military installations in the United States, including the 2009 New York terrorism plot, the 2007 Fort Dix attack plot, the 2009 Little Rock recruiting office shooting, and the September 11 attacks on the Pentagon.
The culprits
Two of the culprits had converted to Islam in prison, where they formed a terrorist organization, calling themselves Jam’iyyat Ul-Islam Is-Saheeh. About a month later, Washington was released from prison and recruited Patterson and Samana, neither of whom had a criminal record, at an Inglewood mosque.
Conviction
On 14 December 2007, Kevin James pleaded guilty to "conspiracy to levy war against the United States through terrorism" and faces up to 20 years in federal prison. Levar Washington also pleaded guilty to the same in addition to a weapons charge and could get 25.
Gregory Patterson is expected to accept a plea deal, and Hammad Samana is currently undergoing psychiatric treatment.
In an interview with the prosecutor, the reporter remarked that "the cell appears to have been remarkably indiscreet about committing plans to paper. They even left the text of a press release Mr. James had written for use once they committed a successful attack. And one of the ringleaders, James, was in prison the whole time." Documents such as these formed the basis of the evidence, since the group hadn't gotten to the point of gathering materials to make explosives.
A 2011 NPR report claimed some of the people associated with this case were imprisoned in a highly restrictive Communication Management Unit.