Man charged in plot to bomb Sept 11 memorial in Missouri

A US man who claimed in online forums to have inspired terrorists in Australia and Texas was arrested after telling an informant how to build a homemade bomb to attack a 9/11 memorial in Missouri, according to a criminal complaint.
Joshua Ryne Goldberg, 20, was arrested and charged with distributing information relating to explosives, destructive devices and weapons of mass destruction, the US Attorney's Office said Thursday.
Goldberg, of Florida, began communicating online with an FBI informant in July, giving information on how to build a bomb using a pressure cooker and shrapnel dipped in rat poison, according to the complaint.

Goldberg instructed the informant to place the bomb at a memorial in Kansas City, Missouri, commemorating the 14th anniversary of the September 11, 2001, attacks, the complaint says. No bomb was produced.
Goldberg, claiming to be in Perth, Australia, said he thought a pressure cooker bomb would be the best option and suggested attacking a 9/11 memorial event in Kansas City, according to the messages.
Australian Federal Police confirmed they were contacted by the FBI. In a statement, the AFP said Goldberg will be charged with providing information online in an attempt to facilitate and encourage terrorist acts in Australia.

Two federal public defenders appointed to represent Goldberg did not immediately respond to emails seeking comment. A judge set a Tuesday bail hearing for Goldberg.

According to Australian police, they interviewed a witness who said Goldberg was an "online troll" who liked to stir up trouble through hoaxes.
On Wednesday, federal agents served a search warrant at the home Goldberg shares with his parents and two younger siblings, taking the suspect into custody.
Goldberg admitted under questioning that he had provided the informant with bomb-making information and used the online aliases associated with their conversations, according to the complaint.
Goldberg told agents that he believed the instructions would create a working bomb. However, Goldberg claimed that he didn't intend for the Missouri attack to be carried out.