NYT : Pennsylvania: Man Accused of Qaeda Conspiracy

Pennsylvania: Man Accused of Qaeda Conspiracy

REUTERS | October 5, 2006

A man arrested in an F.B.I. sting operation has been accused by a federal grand jury of trying to conspire with Al Qaeda to destroy major oil and gas pipelines in the United States and disrupt the nation’s economy. The man, Michael C. Reynolds, left, 47, could face up to 80 years in prison and fines totaling $1.5 million if found guilty, according to the indictment filed Tuesday in the Federal District Court. Mr. Reynolds’s lawyer, Joseph O’Brien, had no comment. The F.B.I. arrested Mr. Reynolds in a sting in December 2005. The prosecution said Mr. Reynolds began communicating with what he believed were Qaeda operatives through a Web-based chat group in October 2005. His contact in the forum was not a member of Al Qaeda, however, and began cooperating with the authorities.