An Islamic State sympathizer from Texas pleaded guilty to a role in a terrorist plot to attack the White House and Trump Tower in New York, federal authorities said Tuesday.
Jaylyn Christopher Molina, 22, was charged last year with conspiracy to provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization in a plot he said would give him “rock star status,” prosecutors said.
Molina was charged along with Kristopher Sean Matthews of South Carolina for conspiring on a plan that began in May 2019, authorities said.
While former President Donald Trump was in office, the pair had discussed traveling to Syria to fight with the Islamic State terrorist group and talked about carrying out attacks at Trump Tower, the White House, the New York Stock Exchange or buildings housing the CIA or FBI, according to court records.
Such strikes would be “Netflix worthy,” and would “send a message,” the plotters wrote in chat groups monitored by federal agents, who arrested the duo.
“Let it be clear, I am against America,” Molina wrote, according to court documents. “America is my enemy.”
“This could be Netflix worthy,” Matthews wrote in the chat group, according to a federal criminal complaint.
They were studying how to build car bombs, suicide belts and other explosives and discussed plans for attacks with other people over an encrypted messaging application, officials said.
Matthews pleaded guilty in November and is scheduled to be sentenced March 4.
Molina’s sentencing is scheduled for April 22. Both men face up to 20 years in prison for the conspiracy charge.
Molina also pleaded guilty Monday to one count of receiving child pornography after authorities found images on his cellphone while executing a search warrant, federal prosecutors said. He faces up to 20 years in prison on the child pornography charge.
