Man Arrested In Foiled Bomb Plot Initially Wanted To Target Federal Reserve: DOJ

OKLAHOMA CITY, OK — An Oklahoma man arrested in a plot to allegedly detonate what he believed was a vehicle bomb at a bank in downtown Oklahoma City had initially wanted to target the Federal Reserve Building in Washington D.C. because "he was upset with the government," the United States Attorney for the Western District of Oklahoma announced Monday.

The DOJ alleged that the man, identified as Jerry Drake Varnell, 23, of Sayre, Oklahoma, wanted to use a device similar to the one used in the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing.

According to a criminal complaint filed Sunday, the FBI arrested Varnell around 1 a.m. on Saturday after the agency says he attempted to detonated "what he believed to be an explosive-laden van he had parked in an alley next to BancFirst."

The DOJ said the arrest was the culmination of a long-term domestic terrorism investigation involving an undercover operation. Varnell was monitored closely for months and the device was actually inert and the public was never in danger, the DOJ said.

When law enforcement learned of Varnell's actions, an undercover FBI agent posed as a person who could assist him, the DOJ said.

"Varnell took a series of actions to advance his plot," the DOJ said, citing allegations made in a criminal complaint. "He identified BancFirst as the target, prepared a statement to be posted on social media after the explosion, helped assemble the device, helped load it into what he believed was a stolen van, drove the van by himself from El Reno to BancFirst in downtown Oklahoma City, and dialed a number on a cellular telephone that he believed would trigger the explosion."

Varnell is charged with attempting to use explosives to destroy a building in interstate commerce. If convicted, Varnell would face a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and a mandatory minimum sentence of five years' imprisonment. His first appearance in court is expected to be Monday afternoon.

Image: Federal Reserve Building in Washington D.C., Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty images News/Getty Images