Harun Abdul-Malik Yener, a 30-year-old Florida man, was arrested on Wednesday for allegedly planning to bomb the New York Stock Exchange to “reboot” the US government. Charged with attempting to use an explosive device to destroy a building involved in interstate commerce, Yener now awaits trial while in federal custody.
According to the FBI, Yener had been under investigation since February after a tip revealed he was storing bomb-making schematics in a storage unit.
The FBI found sketches, timers, electronic circuit boards, and other materials potentially usable for constructing explosives. Evidence also indicated that Yener had been researching bomb-making techniques online since 2017.
Court documents reveal Yener’s intent to target the Stock Exchange in lower Manhattan during the week before Thanksgiving, a high-profile date that would, according to him, send a strong message. He reportedly told undercover FBI agents that detonating a bomb at this location would help “reset” the US government.
In preparation, Yener had rewired two-way radios to function as remote triggers for explosive devices and discussed plans to wear a disguise while planting the bomb. He allegedly sought a device powerful enough to blow off the building’s doors and cause significant destruction.
Yener expressed anti-government sentiments, claiming the US was “due for a revolution,” as per an FBI affidavit.
In conversations with undercover agents, he mentioned previous attempts to join right-wing militias and compared himself to Osama bin Laden, the mastermind behind the 9/11 attacks.
The case, first reported by CourtWatch, explains the extent of Yener’s plans, with federal authorities describing his intentions as “a significant domestic threat.”
The suspect had his first court appearance on Wednesday in the Southern District of Florida, where he was assigned a public defender.
While Yener’s motives remain partially unclear, federal officials have emphasised the seriousness of his plans. Calls to telephone numbers listed for Yener have gone unanswered, and his legal representation has yet to release a statement.