FBI Arrests Pennsylvania Man for Plotting Synagogue Poisoning Attack

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in the United States has arrested Jonathan Hunter Kramer, a 21-year-old man from Pennsylvania, on suspicion of planning to carry out attacks on synagogues by poisoning food and drink. Kramer, a supporter of ISIS and Hamas, was charged in federal court this week with weapons and terrorism offenses. He was apprehended in a hotel room with a semi-automatic rifle, 190 rounds of ammunition, five magazines, a scope, pepper spray, and other equipment he had gathered for an attack.

According to the indictment, Kramer operated under pseudonyms on social media, disseminating terrorist propaganda. In May, he discussed attacking "infidels" via an encrypted app and revealed his attempts to create lethal chemicals. Investigators quoted him saying, "I want to inject ricin or cyanide in grocery stores or at food events, preferably in synagogues, and put the chemicals in their food and drink." He also stated, "Poison is a good way to wage war. I just need a weapon, and once I have it I am ready."

An undercover FBI agent contacted Kramer, who disclosed his attack intentions but admitted he could not legally acquire a weapon due to a prior arrest. Following this information, investigators tracked Kramer as he purchased a simple mobile phone at a strip mall and received a bag containing a weapon from an individual in a parking lot. He then proceeded to a hotel, paid in cash, and left to buy ammunition. Agents who raided his hotel room found the weapons he had acquired.

A search of his home uncovered 30 knives and a note stating, "Don't look for me, I can't live in constant fear." This is not Kramer's first encounter with authorities. In 2023, he was investigated for distributing bomb-making guides online under the alias "Nicholas Cruz," the name of the perpetrator of the 2018 Parkland, Florida, school shooting. A video pledging allegiance to ISIS was found on his computer at that time. He was tried as a minor and sent to a rehabilitation program that concluded last March. Shortly after his release, he resumed online terrorist activity and planning the foiled attack.