Arizona man accused of plotting mass casualty attack on religious site with cookbook tied to OKC bombing

An Arizona man who allegedly plotted a mass casualty attack on a Jewish or Muslim house of worship is being accused by prosecutors of possessing an infamous bomb-making manual linked to the Oklahoma City bomber.Matthew Bjornholt, 27, faces a felony count of making a terrorist threat in connection with his alleged plot to attack a religious site.Prosecutors in Maricopa County said Bjornholt laid out a chilling blueprint for violence that involved guns, explosives and an accomplice tasked with gunning down survivors.During an initial court appearance on Friday, prosecutor Stephen Garcia sought a $500,000 cash bond, calling Bjornholt an imminent danger to the community, according to FOX 10.Bjornholt allegedly outlined detailed plans to attack a religious site, according to Garcia, who also claimed the suspect kept a copy of “The Anarchist Cookbook,” a manual containing bomb-making instructions that has been linked to Oklahoma City bomber Timothy McVeigh.Garcia alleged that Bjornholt referred to the book as his “Bible.”The alleged plot included plans to detonate bombs before an accomplice of Bjornholt’s would begin “picking off people” with firearms, according to prosecutors.Investigators later seized three guns and ammunition from Bjornholt’s home.Bjornholt’s defense attorney, Chad Schell, pushed back against the allegations, claiming that the charges are based solely on unverified hearsay from a disgruntled former acquaintance, according to FOX 10.Schell told the court that the tip came from a “homeless alcoholic” whom Bjornholt had briefly let crash on his couch before kicking him out late last month.Schell said federal authorities had already investigated the claims weeks ago.Schell said the FBI executed a search warrant at Bjornholt’s home on Sept.

29 and that Bjornholt voluntarily provided investigators with his electronic devices and passwords.According to Schell, federal investigators found no evidence of terrorism or bomb-making m...