According to the criminal complaint, Zachary Clark pledged allegiance to ISIS twice, first in July 2019 to its then-leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi and then, after Baghdadi's death in an American raid, in October 2019 to new leader Abu Ibrahim al-Sashemi al-Quarayshi.
"Clark championed his support for ISIS, disseminated hate-filled messages via encrypted chatrooms, and encouraged like-minded individuals to carry out vicious attacks in the name of jihad," the FBI's Bill Sweeney said.
He was taken into custody by federal agents at his home in Brownsville.
Clark, 40, disseminated ISIS propaganda through encrypted chatrooms, the complaint said.
Clark allegedly posted instructions how to conduct a lone wolf attack in New York City, how to select a target, conduct surveillance and how to avoid attracting the attention of police.
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