A Columbia man who allegedly prepared to launch a terrorist attack with people he believed were members of ISIS is being held in federal custody without bond, after pleading not guilty Friday in U.S. District Court in Kansas City.
25-year-old Robert Lorenzo Hester Jr. was indicted by a federal grand jury this week, for his alleged role. Federal prosecutors say the “ISIS” members were actually undercover law enforcement agents.
The indictment says Hester, also known as “Mohammed Junaid Al Amreeki” and “Junaid Muhammad”, allegedly thought the terrorist attacks would take place on Presidents’ Day and would involve buses, trains and a Kansas City train station. A spokesman for U.S. Attorney Tammy Dickinson, Don Ledford, tells Missourinet Hester’s next hearing is scheduled for March 21.
The case was investigated by the FBI.