21-Year-Old Pennsylvania Man Arrested for Alleged ISIS Plot

A 21-year-old man from Pennsylvania, Jonathan Hunter Kramer, was apprehended by the FBI for allegedly planning a violent attack in support of ISIS. Authorities reported on Tuesday that agents tracked him to a hotel where they confiscated a semiautomatic rifle, five magazines, and 190 rounds of ammunition.

Kramer, who lives in Valencia, is accused of pledging his allegiance to ISIS, offering to distribute explosives manuals online, and preparing for a “mission,” although he was still in need of a weapon when agents intervened, as described in a federal criminal complaint.

He faces charges related to the possession of a firearm and ammunition, with knowledge or reasonable belief that these would be utilized to commit a felony or an act of terrorism, including providing support to a recognized foreign terrorist organization.

The FBI had previously been monitoring Kramer since a 2023 investigation, when he was a minor. At that time, he was charged with being involved in a mass-casualty attack plot and for possessing child sexual abuse material, according to the Justice Department.

His recent troubles began again after an anonymous tip on March 19, shortly after he was released from a juvenile detention facility. The informant indicated that Kramer was ordering suspicious packages and communicating with old friends.

Using the online alias “Hamza Al Rashid,” Kramer has purportedly claimed ties to ISIS, offering to share explosive-related materials online. He mentioned being prepared for his “mission” but indicated that he lacked a weapon.

On Friday, the FBI observed him leaving his home carrying a bag and using a rideshare service to a store where he purchased a disposable phone, as stated in the complaint.

Afterward, Kramer met an individual in a parking lot, retrieved a long black bag from a trunk, and traveled to a hotel in Cranberry Township, where he paid cash for a room. Witnesses reported that the bag emitted a metallic sound when he set it down.

Following his check-in, he also visited a sporting goods store, where FBI agents saw him at the gun counter.

Agents moved in to arrest him upon his return to the hotel with two bags from the store. Searches conducted on Kramer, his hotel room, and his home led to the discovery of a semiautomatic rifle with two loaded magazines, three additional magazines, and 190 rounds of ammunition, according to the complaint.

Also found were a rifle scope and bipod, an entrenching tool, pepper spray, and around 30 knives. A handwritten note surfaced, reading, “DoNt look For me[.] IDK what I did buT I cant live In constant Fear[.]”

Attorney General Todd Blanche noted that the arrest coincided with the 25th anniversary of the September 11 attacks, remarking that the FBI’s efforts prevented a potentially devastating situation.

FBI Director Kash Patel emphasized that Kramer had been planning a violent attack in support of ISIS, pointing to his online activities and the acquisition of weapons as proof.

The Justice Department did not define any particular target for the alleged attack.

Kramer was taken to Butler County Jail and made his first court appearance on Monday. Prosecutors have requested that he be held without bail, citing concerns that he could be a danger to the community.