A Texas man was arrested Friday for "unlawfully distributing explosive making information and attempting to provide material support to the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS)," according to the Department of Justice.
Kaan Sercan Damlarkaya, an 18-year-old U.S. citizen from Houston, engaged in online communications with undercover FBI agents and other sources he believed to be ISIS agents, according to charges outlined in a criminal complaint.
Damlarkaya is accused of starting the conversations in early August 2017 and saying he wanted to fight for ISIS overseas or commit an attack in the United States.
As part of the conversations, charges against Damlarkaya indicate he wanted to record a farewell video to help inspire others in the event an attack resulted in his death. Court documents also note he claimed in early November 2017 to have tried to get to Syria on two occasions but failed.
He is accused of sharing information on how to build an AK-47 or AR-15 rifle from readily available parts in order to avoid detection from authorities, and of providing a formula to alleged ISIS supporters for the explosive, Triacetone Triperoxide (TATP), as well as instructions on how to use TATP in a pressure cooker device containing shrapnel.
As an alternative to guns and explosive, Damlarkaya did not rule out the use of a machete or Samurai sword. The criminal complaint noted the Houston resident carried a knife on his person in the event of interactions with law enforcement and kept a machete under his pillow as he slept in case of a raid.
"If I buy a gun or supplies for a bomb, they [presumably law enforcement] will heat up pressure [j]ust like a few months ago when I was trying an operation, but they found out," Damlarkaya said.
If Damlarkaya is convicted of attempting to provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization or unlawfully distributing explosives information, he could spend up to 20 years behind bars.