{{Short description|Planned terrorist attacks in the United States}} {{Use American English|date=June 2025}} {{Use mdy dates|date=February 2025}} The '''2005 Los Angeles bomb plot''' was a 2005 effort by a group of ex-convicts calling themselves'' Jamiyyat Ul-Islam Is-Saheeh'' to bomb several military bases, a number of synagogues, and an Israeli consulate in California.<ref name=sfgate>{{Cite web|url=http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2005/08/31/state/n143135D24.DTL|title=Four indicted in alleged terrorist plot against LA-area targets|last=Marquez|first=Jeremiah|date=2005-09-01|website=SFGate.com|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060815233005/http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=%2Fn%2Fa%2F2005%2F08%2F31%2Fstate%2Fn143135D24.DTL|archive-date=2006-08-15|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name=nbcnews>{{Cite web|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna9148467|title=Four charged with hatching prison terror plot|date=2005-08-31|website=NBC News|archive-url=https://archive.today/20181029193130/http://www.nbcnews.com/id/9148467/ns/us_news-security/t/four-charged-hatching-prison-terror-plot/%23.W9dgC9LLfK4|archive-date=2018-10-29|url-status=live|access-date=2018-10-29}}</ref>
On 31 August 2005, Kevin James and three other men were indicted on terrorism charges related to conspiracy to attack military facilities in the Los Angeles area and of attempting to fund their campaign by robbing gas stations in Southern California over the previous three months. Kevin James was accused of founding a radical Islamic group called J.I.S (Jam’iyyat Ul-Islam Is-Saheeh جمعية الإسلام الصحيح, Arabic for "Assembly of Authentic [[Islam]]") from his cell in [[Folsom Prison]] in California, and of recruiting fellow inmates to join his mission to target for violent attack so-called enemies of Islam or "infidels".<ref>{{cite press release|url=http://www.usdoj.gov/opa/pr/2005/August/05_crm_453.html |title=Four Men Indicted on Terrorism Charges Related to Conspiracy to Attack Military Facilities, Other Targets |date=31 August 2006 |publisher=Department of Justice |access-date=2006-10-17 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090530184752/http://www.usdoj.gov/opa/pr/2005/August/05_crm_453.html |archive-date=30 May 2009 |url-status=live }}</ref>
The announcement of the arrests was made by Attorney General [[Alberto Gonzales]] in the presence of the director of the FBI [[Robert Mueller]] in Washington D.C.<ref>{{cite press release|url=http://www.usdoj.gov/ag/speeches/2005/ag_speech_050831.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061004122221/http://www.usdoj.gov/ag/speeches/2005/ag_speech_050831.html|archive-date=October 4, 2006|url-status=dead|date=31 August 2005|title=Prepared Remarks of Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales at the California Terrorism Indictment Press Conference|publisher=Department of Justice}}</ref> Mueller mentioned the incident in a "Major Executive Speech" in June 2006 on the day that the [[2006 Sears Tower plot]] was announced.<ref name="fbiexec">{{cite press release|title=Remarks Prepared for Delivery by Director Robert S. Mueller, III |url=https://www.fbi.gov/pressrel/speeches/mueller062306.htm |author=Robert S. Mueller, III |work=FBI Major Executive Speeches |publisher=FBI |date=23 June 2006 |access-date=2006-10-17 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090512062429/http://www.fbi.gov/pressrel/speeches/mueller062306.htm |archive-date=12 May 2009 |url-status=dead }}</ref> The Deputy Assistant Director of the FBI outlined the case in his congressional testimony in September 2006.<ref>{{cite press release|url=https://www.fbi.gov/congress/congress06/vanduyn091906.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061003235745/https://www.fbi.gov/congress/congress06/vanduyn091906.htm|archive-date=October 3, 2006|url-status=dead|title=Statement of Donald Van Duyn Deputy Assistant Director, Counterterrorism Division Federal Bureau of Investigation Before the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs and Related Agencies|date=19 September 2006|publisher=FBI|author=Donald Van Duyn}}</ref>
==Background== {{See also|Islam and antisemitism|Terrorism in the United States}}
The plot is one in a series of terrorist-related attacks and failed attacks by Muslims on military installations in the United States, including the [[2009 New York terrorism plot]], the [[2007 Fort Dix attack plot]], the [[2009 Little Rock recruiting office shooting]], and the [[September 11 attacks]] on the Pentagon.
==Suspects== * Kevin Lamar James, founded J.I.S. (Jam’iyyat Ul-Islam Is-Saheeh) in 2004 while in prison, recruiting fellow inmates, and then others after his release in December 2004. * Levar Haney Washington, Muslim convert, a U.S. national; arrested 5 July for armed robbery. * Gregory Vernon Patterson, a U.S. national; purchased a .223-caliber rifle and arrested 5 July for armed robbery. * Hammad Riaz Samana, a lawful permanent U.S. resident originally from Pakistan; allegedly trained with firearms; arrested 2 August.<ref name="sfgate"/>
Several of the suspects formed a group called ''Jam’iyyat Ul-Islam Is-Saheeh'' from inside a California state prison<ref>New York Times, [https://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/24/nyregion/24convert.html Imams Reject Talk That Islam Radicalizes Inmates] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180924072041/https://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/24/nyregion/24convert.html |date=2018-09-24 }}, DANIEL J. WAKIN, May 23, 2009.</ref> About a month later, Washington was released from prison and recruited Patterson and Samana, neither of whom had a criminal record, at an Inglewood mosque.
==Conviction== On 14 December 2007, Kevin James pleaded guilty to "conspiracy to levy war against the United States through terrorism" and was sentenced to 16 years in federal prison.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2009-03-07 |title=Ex-gang member jailed over Calif. terror plot |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna29560949 |access-date=2025-12-03 |website=NBC News |language=en}}</ref> Levar Washington also pleaded guilty to the same charges plus an additional weapons charge and was sentenced to 22 years in federal prison.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=#08-634: Second Man Involved in Domestic Terrorism Plot Targeting Military, Jewish Facilities Sentenced to Prison (2008-07-21) |url=https://www.justice.gov/archive/opa/pr/2008/July/08-nsd-634.html#:~:text=Gregory%20Patterson,%2024,%20of%20Gardena,to%2022%20years%20in%20prison. |access-date=2025-12-03 |website=www.justice.gov}}</ref>
Gregory Patterson pled guilty to the same conspiracy and weapons charges as Washington and was sentenced to just over 12.5 years in federal prison.<ref name=":0" /> Hammad Samana was initially found to be unfit to stand trial and underwent psychiatric treatment. However, in 2009, he was subsequently charged and sentenced to just under 6 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to one count of conspiracy to levy war against the U. S government through terrorism.<ref name="murr2007">{{cite news|url=http://www.newsweek.com/id/78189|title=Thwarting Terror|publisher=Newsweek|first=Andrew|last=Murr|date=15 December 2007|access-date=2015-12-27|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081009143421/http://www.newsweek.com/id/78189|archive-date=2008-10-09|url-status=live}}</ref>
In an interview with the prosecutor, the reporter remarked that "the cell appears to have been remarkably indiscreet about committing plans to paper. They even left the text of a press release Mr. James had written for use once they committed a successful attack. And one of the ringleaders, James, was in prison the whole time."<ref name="murr2007"/> Documents such as these formed the basis of the evidence, since the group hadn't gotten to the point of gathering materials to make explosives.
== Aftermath == Gregory Patterson served roughly 8 years of his sentenced and was released from a federal halfway house in [[Long Beach, California]] on September 22, 2016. Hammad Samana was released from [[Federal Correctional Institution, Englewood|FCI Englewood]] in [[Littleton, Colorado]] on August, 30, 2010. He was then taken into custody by [[United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement|Immigration, Customs and Enforcement]] before being deported to [[Pakistan]] in November 2010.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2010-11-22 |title=Archived: ICE removes terrorist to Pakistan {{!}} ICE |url=https://www.ice.gov/news/releases/ice-removes-terrorist-pakistan |access-date=2025-12-03 |website=www.ice.gov |language=en}}</ref>
A 2011 [[NPR]] report claimed both Kevin James (who legally changed his name to Ahmed Binyamin Alasiri) and Levar Washington were both imprisoned in the highly restrictive [[Communication Management Unit]].<ref name="npr2" />
James was released from federal custody in September 2019. While on federal supervised release in Long Beach, California, he sold 1.7 kilograms (3.4 pounds) [[methamphetamine]] to a buyer over three meetings. He was indicted on one count of distributing methamphetamine and was sentenced to over 15 years in prison. He is currently incarcerated at [[Federal Correctional Institution, Tucson|FCI Tucson]] in [[Tucson, Arizona]] and is projected to be released from prison on July 27, 2031.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-03-28 |title=Central District of California {{!}} Convicted Terrorist Sentenced to Over 15 Years in Federal Prison for Selling Pounds of Methamphetamine While on Supervised Release {{!}} United States Department of Justice |url=https://www.justice.gov/usao-cdca/pr/convicted-terrorist-sentenced-over-15-years-federal-prison-selling-pounds |access-date=2025-12-03 |website=www.justice.gov |language=en}}</ref>
Washington was initially set for release from federal custody in September 2024. In 2017, he was sentenced to an additional 6 years in federal prison after he stabbed a fellow inmate with a "shank" 13 to 15 times while they were both housed in [[United States Penitentiary, Allenwood|USP Allenwood]] in [[Pennsylvania]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=2017-05-15 |title=Middle District of Pennsylvania {{!}} Inmate Sentenced To Six Years For Assault With Dangerous Weapon {{!}} United States Department of Justice |url=https://www.justice.gov/usao-mdpa/pr/inmate-sentenced-six-years-assault-dangerous-weapon |access-date=2025-12-03 |website=www.justice.gov |language=en}}</ref> In 2022, Washington was sentenced to a further term of over 13 years to run consecutively to both other sentences after stabbed a correctional officer with an 11-inch shank at [[United States Penitentiary, Pollock|USP Pollock]] in [[Louisiana]]. Washington is currently serving his sentences at [[ADX Florence]], the federal [[supermax prison]] in [[Florence, Colorado]]. His projected release date is February 3, 2043.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-02-18 |title=Western District of Louisiana {{!}} Two Defendants Sentenced in U.S. District Court {{!}} United States Department of Justice |url=https://www.justice.gov/usao-wdla/pr/two-defendants-sentenced-us-district-court |access-date=2025-12-03 |website=www.justice.gov |language=en}}</ref>
==See also== {{Portal|Los Angeles|Islam}} *[[Islamic extremism in the United States]] *[[Conversion to Islam in prisons]] *[[2009 Little Rock recruiting office shooting|2009 Little Rock military recruiting office shooting]] – al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula-inspired attack by Yemen-trained ''[[jihad]]i'' *[[2009 Bronx terrorism plot]] – a plot by four [[black people|black]] [[Islam in the United States|American Muslim]] men to shoot down military airplanes flying out of an [[Air National Guard]] base and blow up two [[synagogues]] *[[2011 Manhattan terrorism plot]] – an effort by two [[Muslim]] [[Arab-Americans]] to bomb a synagogue *[[List of attacks on Jewish institutions in the United States]]
==References== <references>
<ref name=npr2>[https://www.npr.org/2011/03/03/134227726/data-graphics-population-of-the-communications-management-units DATA & GRAPHICS: Population Of The Communications Management Units] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110307093207/http://www.npr.org/2011/03/03/134227726/data-graphics-population-of-the-communications-management-units |date=2011-03-07 }}, Margot Williams and Alyson Hurt, [[NPR]], 3-3-11, retrieved 2011 03 04 from npr.org</ref>
</references>
==External links== *{{cite web|url=http://www.cpt-mi.org/pdf/Torrancev2.pdf |title=Analysis: Militant Islam in U.S. Prison System |access-date=2009-06-05 |url-status=bot: unknown |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080517054101/http://www.cpt-mi.org/pdf/Torrancev2.pdf |archive-date=2008-05-17 }}
{{AmericanTerrorism}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Los Angeles bomb plot, 2005}} [[Category:Antisemitic attacks and incidents in California]] [[Category:Explosions in 2005]] [[Category:Terrorist incidents in the United States in 2005]] [[Category:Islamic terrorism in California]] [[Category:Failed terrorist attempts in California]] [[Category:August 2005 crimes in the United States]] [[Category:Terrorist incidents in Los Angeles]] [[Category:2005 in Los Angeles|Bomb plot]] [[Category:21st-century attacks on Jewish institutions in the United States]] [[Category:Synagogue bombings]] [[Category:2005 in Judaism]] [[Category:Attacks on military installations in 2005]] [[Category:Attacks on military installations in the United States]] [[Category:Attacks on diplomatic missions of Israel]] [[Category:Anti-Israeli sentiment in the United States]]