Second man charged in alleged Fort Riley bomb plot

A second Topeka man was charged in federal court Friday for allegedly knowing about and abetting a plot to bomb Fort Riley in Kansas.

The U.S. Attorney’s office filed a complaint late in the day against Alexander E. Blair, 28, of Topeka. He is charged with one count of failing to report a felony.

Earlier Friday federal officials announced charges against John Thomas Booker Jr., 20, also of Topeka. They said he was planning to wage jihad against American soldiers on behalf of the Islamic State. He allegedly planned to commit suicide while detonating a 1,000-pound ammonium nitrate bomb just outside the perimeter of Fort Riley.

The complaint against Blair alleges that he shared some of Booker’s extremist views and loaned Booker money to rent a storage unit to conceal his bomb components. The complaint alleges that Blair knew Booker was serious about his plan and failed to report him to authorities.

Federal agents contacted Blair after Booker’s arrest Friday. The complaint states that Blair admitted he knew about Booker’s plan “to kill as many American soldiers as possible.” The complaint says Blair told federal agents that he had urged Booker not to talk openly about his plans.

This story was originally published April 10, 2015 at 7:12 PM with the headline "Second man charged in alleged Fort Riley bomb plot."