South Florida man charged with distributing bomb-making designs for Islamic extremists
A South Florida man who posted bomb-making instructions on the internet while expressing his support for Islamic extremism has been arrested on terrorism-related charges.
Tayyab Tahir Ismail, 34, of Pembroke Pines used a mobile messaging platform to distribute information on making weapons of mass destruction at least five times over the summer, according to an FBI criminal affidavit.
“Ismail was a member of various rooms within the platform and each of these rooms contained members who support violent jihad,” the affidavit says. Among them: supporters of ISIS, the notorious Middle Eastern terrorist group known for videotaping the killings of Western hostages.
No live explosives were linked to the bomb-making designs he distributed on the internet.
Ismail, who was arrested Friday and had his first appearance in Fort Lauderdale federal court Monday, has a detention hearing on Dec. 26 and arraignment on Jan. 2.
Ismail, who was born in Pakistan and is a naturalized U.S. citizen, has been on the FBI’s radar for a number of years. The affidavit says he was a “close associate” of James Gonzalo Medina, a Hollywood man who pleaded guilty last year to trying to blow up an Aventura synagogue and was sentenced to 25 years in prison.
Ismail’s arrest follows a similar indictment filed in August against Samuel Baptiste, who posted online documents on how to make explosives. Baptiste, who is currently in prison on a firearms conviction, was charged with distributing the unlawful bomb designs as well as with attempting to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization, ISIS.