Posted on April 9, 2019

Feds Charge Maryland Man Accused of Plotting to Ram Stolen Truck into Pedestrians

Mike Levine, ABC News, April 8, 2019

Federal authorities have charged a Maryland man they believe was plotting to ram a stolen truck into pedestrians at the National Harbor waterfront development in Maryland, just outside the nation’s capital, the Justice Department announced Monday.

Rondell Henry, 28, of Germantown, Maryland, has been charged with interstate transportation of a stolen vehicle, but in court documents authorities allege a much more sinister intention.

According to authorities, Henry claimed to law enforcement that he was inspired by the Islamic State when he stole a U-Haul van looking to use it as a weapon.

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On his phone, authorities found “images of gun-wielding ISIS fighters, the ISIS flag, and the Pulse nightclub shooter” who killed 49 people at the Orlando bar three years ago.

Authorities said Henry told them he wanted to create what he allegedly called “panic and chaos” like the attack on pedestrians in Nice, France, in 2016, when a terrorist killed 86 people and wounded 450 others when he drove a 19-ton truck into a crowd celebrating a local holiday.

The Justice Department said Henry harbored “hatred” for anyone who wasn’t Muslim, and he was allegedly inspired by watching terrorist propaganda videos.

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{snip} Henry was arrested hours later, after allegedly hiding in a boat at the harbor.

Henry allegedly hid in the boat to wait for bigger crowds at his chosen location — to wait “until the time was right,” authorities said in court documents.

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Before driving to the harbor, however, Henry allegedly drove to Dulles International Airport and looked to launch an attack on “disbelievers” there, but he left the airport after he couldn’t get past the security perimeter, the Justice Department said.

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