Terrorist attack foiled, FBI says
Man accused of targeting July 4 celebration
CLEVELAND – A man accused of planning a terrorist-style attack in downtown Cleveland on the Fourth of July was charged Monday with trying to support terrorism.
The FBI said Demetrius Nathaniel Pitts – also known as Abdur Raheem Rafeeq – was taken into custody Sunday morning on accusations of attempting to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization.
“He talked about wanting to target people watching fireworks over downtown Cleveland,” U.S. Attorney Justin Herdman said.
Last week, Pitts, 48, of Maple Heights, Ohio, allegedly told an undercover agent, “I did tell myself that their holiday is coming up. The Fourth of July. Independence Day. What would hit them in the core? Blow up. Have a bomb. Blow up at the Fourth of July parade.”
Authorities said Pitts, an American citizen, talked about hitting targets such as St. John’s Cathedral and giving remote-control cars packed with explosives to children of military members.
Pitts was due in federal court Monday in Cleveland. There were no court documents listing an attorney for him.
“Just last week, this defendant was walking around downtown Cleveland, conducting reconnaissance on what he thought was a large-scale attack planned for the Fourth of July,” Herdman said. “He looked for locations to park a van that would be packed with explosives.”
Among the places he allegedly explored were Voinovich Park and the U.S. Coast Guard Station.
Sunday, during his final meeting with the undercover agent, Pitts expressed allegiance to al-Qaida, authorities said, and discussed his desire to kill military personnel and their families. He allegedly wanted to conduct an attack in Philadelphia, a place he previously lived.
FBI Special Agent Stephen Anthony said it was not clear how close Pitts was to carrying out his threats, but he said authorities couldn’t sit back and wait to find out.
The FBI in Cincinnati began investigating Pitts in 2017 after concerns arose about his alleged statements of violent intentions.
According to court documents, in a Jan. 25, 2017, Facebook post, Pitts commented on photos believed to be from an al-Qaida training camp.
“We as Muslim(s) need to start. Training like this every,” the post said. “Look at the bed blue-eyed devils. They teach their little dogs on how to shoot and hunt. ... We should always be prepared to fight in the name of Allah Akbar. All cowards stay home.”
Pitts lived in St. Bernard, Ohio, at the time, about 4 miles north of Cincinnati.
According to court documents, soon after the post in January 2017, the FBI reviewed the Facebook profile and learned Pitts had threatened violence against the USA.
By late-February 2017, Pitts was evicted from an apartment in St. Bernard for not paying rent. It’s not clear where he went at that time.
In May, Pitts relocated to the Cleveland area where the FBI office picked up the investigation.
Authorities called some of his Facebook posts “disturbing.” There were comments urging Muslims to learn to shoot guns and throw hand grenades.
Anthony said Pitts’ adult criminal history dates back to 1989 when Pitts was 19. He was charged in Hamilton County with aggravated robbery and felonious assault, convicted of robbery and sentenced to three to 15 years in prison. He served less than a year in prison and was released on probation.