ATLANTA – A Georgia man accused of plotting to attack the White House with an antitank rocket and explosives must remain in custody while his case moves forward, a judge ruled Thursday.
Hasher Jallal Taheb, 21, was arrested Jan. 16 in an FBI sting. He had traded his car for an antitank rocket, guns and explosives and had shared plans to storm the White House with an undercover FBI agent and an FBI source, authorities said.
He was indicted this week and is charged with attempting to damage or destroy a building owned by the United States using fire or an explosive, federal prosecutor Ryan Buchanan said in court.
Buchanan argued that there was no way to guarantee that Taheb would show up for court and would not be a danger to the community. Vionnette Johnson, a public defender representing Taheb, asked that he be placed under 24-hour lockdown at his mother’s home in Cumming.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Alan Baverman denied Taheb’s request for bond, saying he couldn’t ensure Taheb wouldn’t endanger the community.