ATLANTA — A man from Forsyth County who authorities say planned out, in detail, an attack on the White House has pleaded guilty and will soon learn his fate.
Hasher Jallal Taheb was arrested in Gwinnett County after the culmination of an undercover investigation in 2018 and 2019 revealed many things, such as hand-drawn diagrams of the West Wing in the White House.
A federal affidavit at the time suggested that Taheb plotted attacks on other Washington landmarks including the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial. He also intended to travel overseas at the time and that his attacks were part of his desire to "engage in 'jihad'."
The FBI has since elaborated that he intended to use semi-automatic weapons, improvised explosive devices an anti-tank weapon and hand grenades in his attack.
FBI special agents ultimately arrested Taheb on Jan. 16, 2019 after he arrived at a pre-arranged location where he expected to obtain the weapons needed for the attacks. He pleaded guilty to the charge of attempting to destroy, by fire or an explosive, a building owned by or leased to the United States.
As part of a plea agreement, the defendant and the government both agreed to 15 years in prison, though his official sentencing will not occur until June.
“Our citizens are our most important weapons in fighting terrorism, our eyes and ears in our communities, and why we say to please contact law enforcement if you see or hear something suspicious,” said Chris Hacker, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta.
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