A 21-year-old man from Pennsylvania has been arrested on federal charges for allegedly plotting an attack in support of ISIS. Jonathan Hunter Kramer, of Valencia, was taken into custody after FBI agents found him at a hotel with a semiautomatic rifle, five magazines, and 190 rounds of ammunition, according to the Department of Justice.
Kramer is accused of pledging allegiance to ISIS, offering to distribute explosives manuals online, and stating he was preparing for a "mission" but lacked a weapon. He faces charges of receiving a firearm and ammunition with the intent to use them for a federal crime of terrorism, including providing material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization.
Federal authorities had previously investigated Kramer in 2023 when he was a minor. At that time, he was charged and adjudicated delinquent for his involvement in a plot to carry out a mass-casualty attack and for possessing child sexual abuse material. The investigation into Kramer was reopened after an anonymous tip on March 19, shortly after his release from a juvenile detention facility. The tipster reported that Kramer was ordering unusual packages and communicating with associates from before his previous adjudication.
According to the criminal complaint, Kramer, using the online alias "Hamza Al Rashid," expressed affiliation with ISIS and offered to share explosives manuals. He allegedly wrote about his imminent "mission" and his need for a weapon.
FBI agents observed Kramer leaving his residence on Friday, using a rideshare service to go 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, and proceeded to a hotel in Cranberry Township, where he paid for a room in cash. Witnesses at both the store and the hotel reportedly heard a metallic clicking sound from the bag when Kramer set it down.
Following his check-in, Kramer visited a sporting goods store, where agents saw him at the gun counter. When he returned to the hotel carrying two bags from the store, agents approached him. A subsequent search of Kramer, his hotel room, and his home uncovered 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, a bipod, an entrenchment tool, pepper spray, and approximately 30 knives. A handwritten note found during the search read, "DoNt look For me[.] IDK what I did buT I cant live In constant Fear."
Attorney General Todd Blanche stated that the arrest occurred as Americans commemorated the 25th anniversary of the September 11th terrorist attacks. "Their outstanding work thwarted this alleged attack before innocent lives could be lost," Blanche said.
FBI Director Kash Patel affirmed that Kramer had been "plotting a violent attack in support of ISIS," citing his online activities and the acquisition of weapons. The Justice Department has not specified a target for the alleged attack.
Kramer has been booked into the Butler County Jail. Prosecutors have requested that he be held without bond, asserting that he poses a danger to the community. His first court appearance was on Monday.