A 21-year-old Pennsylvania man accused of plotting an attack in support of ISIS was arrested after federal agents found him at a hotel with a semiautomatic rifle, five magazines, and 190 rounds of ammunition, the Department of Justice announced Tuesday.
Jonathan Hunter Kramer, of Valencia, is charged with receiving a firearm and ammunition knowing it would be used to commit a federal crime of terrorism, including providing material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization. Prosecutors allege Kramer had pledged allegiance to ISIS, offered to distribute explosives manuals online, and was preparing for a "mission" but lacked a weapon before his arrest.
Investigation and Arrest
The FBI had been investigating Kramer since 2023 when he was a minor and charged in Pennsylvania for his role in a plot to carry out a mass-casualty attack. Authorities resumed their investigation following an anonymous tip on March 19, shortly after Kramer’s release from a juvenile detention facility. The tipster reported that Kramer was ordering "mysterious" packages and communicating with associates from before his juvenile adjudication.
Investigators said Kramer used the online alias "Hamza Al Rashid" and claimed affiliation with ISIS, offering to share explosives manuals. He allegedly wrote about preparing for his "mission" and stated he needed a "weapon."
On Friday, FBI agents observed Kramer leaving his home, taking a rideshare to a store where he purchased a disposable phone. He then met another individual in a parking lot, retrieved a long black bag from a vehicle's trunk, and traveled to a hotel in Cranberry Township, paying cash for a room. Witnesses at the store and hotel reported hearing a metallic clicking sound from the bag when Kramer set it down.
After checking into the hotel, Kramer went to a sporting goods store, where agents saw him at the gun counter. Agents approached Kramer when he returned to the hotel carrying two bags from the store. A search of Kramer, his hotel room, and his home revealed a semiautomatic rifle, five rifle magazines (two loaded and three capable of holding 30 rounds each), and 190 rounds of rifle ammunition. Agents also found a rifle scope and bipod, an entrenchment tool, pepper spray, and approximately 30 knives. A handwritten note discovered read, "DoNt look For me[.] IDK what I did buT I cant live In constant Fear[.]"
Official Statements
Attorney General Todd Blanche stated that the arrest occurred as Americans marked the 25th anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, emphasizing that the "outstanding work thwarted this alleged attack before innocent lives could be lost."
FBI Director Kash Patel commented that Kramer had been "plotting a violent attack in support of ISIS," citing his online activity and acquisition of weapons. The Justice Department did not specify a target for the alleged attack.
Kramer was booked into the Butler County Jail and appeared in court for the first time on Monday. Prosecutors have requested he be held without bond, asserting he poses a danger to the community.