Arizona Man Arrested over Alleged Plot to Attack a House of Worship, Bomb-Making Book at Centre of Dispute

A man has been arrested in Arizona, in the United States, over an alleged plot to carry out a mass casualty attack on a Jewish or Muslim house of worship. Prosecutors allege that he possessed a copy of a notorious bomb-making manual linked to the Oklahoma City bombing, which he referred to as his 'Bible'.

The accused is Matthew Bjornholt, 27. He faces a felony count of making a terrorist threat in connection with the 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.

Garcia alleged that Bjornholt kept a copy of 'The Anarchist Cookbook', a manual containing bomb-making instructions that has been linked to Oklahoma City bomber Timothy McVeigh. Prosecutors claimed Bjornholt referred to the book as his 'Bible'.

According to the alleged plan, bombs would first be detonated 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.

However, Bjornholt's defence attorney, Chad Schell, pushed back against the allegations, claiming the charges are based solely on unverified hearsay from a disgruntled former acquaintance.

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.

According to Schell, federal authorities had already investigated the claims weeks ago. The FBI executed a search warrant at Bjornholt's home on 29 September, and Bjornholt voluntarily provided investigators with his electronic devices and passwords.

Schell said federal investigators found no evidence of terrorism or bomb-making materials and did not pursue federal charges before county authorities took over the case a couple of weeks later.

Schell also argued that the three seized guns were lawfully possessed, adding that Bjornholt's civil rights were restored after completing a previous sentence on a drug charge. A first-degree murder charge against Bjornholt had been dropped because of a lack of evidence, Schell said, and the ammunition found in the home was no more than standard magazine loads.

Despite prosecutors citing Bjornholt's criminal history in arguing for a larger bond, the judge said the state's preliminary evidence relied heavily on hearsay and set Bjornholt's bond at $100,000. The judge nevertheless found enough probable cause to move the case forward. It remains unclear whether specific houses of worship were targeted or whether there was a specific accomplice. Bjornholt is scheduled to return to court on 22 October for a status conference and later for a preliminary hearing on 26 October.