A man who ran for Congress last year in Tennessee has pleaded guilty to plotting an attack on a small Muslim enclave in New York.
Federal agents began investigating Robert Doggart following a Facebook posting in which he claimed a community outside of Hancock, New York, was planning a terrorist attack and "must be utterly destroyed," according to the plea agreement entered last month.
This area is known as "Islamberg," a self-named community consisting primarily of Muslims.
Via cellphone, Doggart also told unnamed people cooperating with the FBI that his plan involved killing residents and burning at least three buildings. He met with at least one source in Nashville.
"Those guys (have) to be killed," Doggart said during one call. "Their buildings need to be burnt down."
During the same call, Doggart told the person on the phone that pistols couldn't be carried from Tennessee to New York because the city doesn't have carry permit reciprocity, but that "AR-15s, M-4s or M-16s" could be brought.
Doggart said he planned to bring his M-4 rifle with four magazines, according to the court document.
He pleaded guilty to a charge of interstate communication of threats.
Doggart faces up to five years in prison and a USD 250,000 fine. His attorney told The Associated Press on Tuesday that a judge is still reviewing the plea agreement. Doggart ran as an independent in last year's congressional race and finished with just 6 percent of the vote.
