New details emerge after man indicted in connection to plotted attack on Chicago area mosque

WATERVILLE, Maine - New details emerged Thursday after a grand jury indicted a Maine man in connection to a plotted attack on a Chicago area mosque earlier this year.

Xavier Pelkey was indicted by a federal grand jury for knowingly possessing firearms, specifically destructive devices, which were not registered to him, and conspiracy to provide material support to terrorists. 

Prosecutors say Xavier Pelkey, of Waterville, Maine, recruited two teens — one is from Chicago. Their plan was to attack a Shia mosque, and possibly a synagogue in the name of ISIS.

The two unidentified teens and Pelkey communicated through Instagram and other chat platforms with plans to meet in Chicago during spring break. The teen from Chicago told the FBI the plan was to enter a Shia mosque and separate the adults from the children, and then murder the adults.

On Feb. 11, FBI agents executed search warrants at Pelkey's apartment in Waterville.

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Pelkey was at the apartment when agents arrived.

Agents located Pelkey's room, and discovered a backpack in the corner that contained what appeared to be three homemade explosive devices.

According to law enforcement officials, each device consisted of several fireworks bundled together with tape.

While in the apartment, a bomb technician conducted a review of the devices.

When he separated the components of the devices, the technician discovered staples, pins and thumb tacks inserted among the device components.

According to the technician, the small metal items were designed to increase the "amount of shrapnel propelled by an explosion if the devices were detonated."

When agents first spoke to Pelkey, he said he had fireworks in the apartment. However, after agents found the three homemade explosive devices, they asked him why they were taped together.

Pelkey allegedly said that he wanted to make a "bigger boom."

When asked why metal items were in the devices, Pelkey allegedly did not answer the question.

After reviewing the devices at the apartment, the bomb technician contacted the FBI's Explosive Unit in Quantico, Virginia, and relayed a description of the devices found in Pelkey's room.

According to the Explosives Unit, the devices met the definition of a "destructive device" under federal law, and said the addition of the metal items to the bundled fireworks "indicates that the devices are explosives that are specifically designed as weapons."