Suspect accused of plotting to attack Ariz. motor vehicle office

PHOENIX — The Tucson man arrested Saturday in connection with terrorist threats is accused in a grand-jury indictment of a conspiracy to induce terrorism at a Motor Vehicle Division office in Maricopa County.

The grand jury charged Mahin Khan with three counts: terrorism; conspiracy to commit terrorism; and conspiracy to commit misconduct involving weapons, according to the indictment, dated Wednesday.

The indictment was based on an investigation by the Phoenix Field Office of the FBI and the Joint Terrorism Task Force, including agents from the Arizona Attorney General’s Office Special Investigations Section.

The exact location of the MVD facility that was targeted wasn't being released for safety reasons, according to the Arizona Attorney General's Office.

FBI: Man arrested in conspiracy to commit terrorism in Arizona

Agents probed the 18-year-old Khan’s alleged repeated communication and conspiracy with an individual whom he believed to be a fighter with Islamic State to obtain weapons, including pipe bombs or pressure-cooker bombs, according to a statement from Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich on Thursday.

Khan sought a recipe for a pressure-cooker bomb, two assault rifles and a pistol, according to a court document released Wednesday.

That document said Khan discussed other potential targets, including an Air Force recruitment center in Tucson, and said that he had reached out to a member of a known foreign terrorist organization asking how to build a pressure-cooker bomb.

Khan was taken into custody Friday by the FBI in Tucson. He was being held without bond in a Maricopa County jail.

An investigation into Khan’s alleged conspiracy and terror activities continues, but there was not believed to be a further threat from him or his activities, Brnovich said.

Khan's next court appearance was scheduled for Friday in Maricopa County Superior Court.