Maryland man charged with ISIS-inspired plot pleads guilty to planning separate airport attack

SILVER SPRING, Md. — A Maryland man charged in 2019 with planning an Islamic State-inspired assault at a Washington, D.C., space purchasing and leisure complicated pleaded responsible on Monday to participating in a separate plot to drive a stolen van right into a crowd of individuals at a close-by airport.

Rondell Henry’s plea settlement with Justice Division prosecutors may result in his launch from federal custody as quickly as October, when a decide is scheduled to condemn him within the airport plot, which Henry deserted. Henry, who has remained in custody for over 4 years, did not hurt anyone earlier than police arrested him.

Henry, 32, of Germantown, Maryland, pleaded responsible to trying to carry out an act of violence at a global airport, courtroom data present.

Henry admits that he stole a U-Haul van from a parking storage in Alexandria, Virginia, drove it to Dulles Worldwide Airport in Virginia and entered a terminal constructing on March 27, 2019.

“Henry unsuccessfully tried to observe one other particular person right into a restricted space of the airport, however the different particular person prevented Henry from getting into the restricted space,” in line with a courtroom submitting accompanying his plea settlement.

Henry later advised investigators that he went to the airport as a result of he “was making an attempt to harm individuals there” and “was going to attempt to drive by means of a crowd of individuals,” however finally left as a result of “there wasn’t a large enough crowd” on the airport, in line with the submitting.

Henry pleaded responsible to a felony that carries a most jail sentence of 20 years. However prosecutors and protection attorneys agreed that an applicable sentence for Henry could be the jail time he already has served and lifelong supervised launch with necessary participation in a psychological well being therapy program, in line with his plea settlement.

U.S. District Choose Paula Xinis, who is not sure by that advice, is scheduled to condemn Henry on Oct. 23. He’ll stay jailed till his sentencing listening to.

Henry’s attorneys did not instantly reply Monday to an e-mail looking for touch upon his responsible plea and plea deal.

Henry was charged in 2019 with trying to offer materials assist to a overseas terrorist group, the Islamic State group. However the cost to which he pleaded responsible is unrelated to what authorities had mentioned was a ISIS-inspired plot to hold out an assault at Nationwide Harbor, a well-liked waterfront vacation spot in Maryland simply exterior the nation’s capital.

Monday’s submitting would not point out the Islamic State or specify any ideological motivation for an assault on the airport.

Henry left the airport and drove the stolen U-Haul to Nationwide Harbor, the place he parked it. Police arrested him the following morning after they discovered the van and noticed Henry bounce over a safety fence.

Henry advised investigators he deliberate to hold out an assault like one during which a driver ran over and killed dozens of individuals in Good, France, in 2016, authorities mentioned. A prosecutor has mentioned Henry supposed to kill as many “disbelievers” as potential.

Monday’s courtroom filings do not clarify why Henry did not plead responsible to any expenses associated to the alleged Nationwide Harbor plot.

The case towards Henry remained on maintain for years amid questions on his psychological competency. Final yr, Rondell Henry’s attorneys notified the courtroom that he supposed to pursue an madness protection.

Xinis had dominated in February 2020 that Henry was not competent to face trial. She repeatedly prolonged his court-ordered hospitalization.

However the decide dominated in Might 2022 that Henry had turn into mentally competent to face trial, may perceive the fees towards him and was able to aiding in his protection. Xinis mentioned a March 2022 report on Henry’s medical situation discovered specialists had restored his psychological competence.

Prosecutors have mentioned Henry watched Islamic State group propaganda movies of overseas terrorists beheading civilians and combating abroad. Investigators mentioned they recovered a telephone Henry had discarded on a freeway in an obvious try to hide proof, together with photos of the Islamic State flag, armed Islamic State fighters and the person who carried out the 2016 Pulse nightclub bloodbath in Orlando, Florida.

Henry is a naturalized U.S. citizen who moved to the nation from Trinidad and Tobago greater than a decade in the past.