A western Pennsylvania man has been charged with obtaining a semiautomatic rifle and ammunition to carry out an attack for the Islamic State group after investigators said he promoted ISIS online and was preparing for what he called a "mission."
Jonathan Hunter Kramer, 21, of Valencia, Pennsylvania, was arrested Sept. 12 at a hotel in neighboring Cranberry Township, about 22 miles north of Pittsburgh, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. He was charged with receiving a firearm that would be used to commit a felony or an act of terrorism.
Kramer made his initial federal court appearance on Sept. 14. Prosecutors have asked that Kramer be held without bond pending trial, arguing that he poses a danger to the community.
Prosecutors said Kramer
had been under investigation since March after the FBI received a tip that he had returned to "troubling behavior" following his release from a Pennsylvania juvenile detention facility. Investigators later determined he was using an online persona claiming affiliation with ISIS, offering to share explosive manuals with others and describing preparations for a future "mission" and looking for a weapon, according to an affidavit.
On Sept. 12, federal agents watched Kramer leave his home carrying a bag, purchase a disposable cellphone, receive a bag from another person, and check into a hotel using cash, prosecutors said. During his arrest, prosecutors said agents searched his hotel room and residence, where they found multiple weapons and rifle ammunition.
"As alleged in the complaint, Jonathan’s Kramer’s words and actions during recent months have been profoundly concerning," Troy Rivetti, U.S. attorney for the Western District of Pennsylvania, said in a statement on Sept. 15.
Pennsylvania man allegedly posted about ISIS online
Investigators identified Kramer as the user behind the online persona "Hamza Al Rashid," who allegedly shared support of ISIS and discussed with others about "imminent attacks," according to the affidavit.
Investigators said Kramer also detailed "methods of violence Against the Kuffar, as well as tools that can be useful to remain anonymous" in a shared document. The term "kuffar" is used in ISIS propaganda and refers to non-Muslims.
The document stated that "fire is an extremely useful tool to cause irreplaceable damage to The kuffars homes, land, and cost millions, if not billions of dollars in damage if used correctly," according to the affidavit. The document identified "good areas to target" such as "nightclubs, theaters, concerts, and apartment buildings/hotels and schools with low security," the affidavit states.
Investigators also said the document contained information on poisonings, vehicle attacks using large trucks, and firearms as "methods to increase your jihad's destruction," according to the affidavit.
Investigators said Kramer continued posting ISIS-related content online from May through September. In a Sept. 9 exchange cited in the affidavit, he allegedly wrote that he was "preparing for my mission, I just need a weapon."
On Sept. 12, FBI agents watched Kramer travel to a retail store to purchase a disposable cellphone before meeting another person in a parking lot and retrieving a "long black bag" from a vehicle's trunk, according to the affidavit. He later checked into a Cranberry Township hotel.
Witnesses at the retail store and hotel told investigators that the bag Kramer was carrying made a metallic clicking sound when he set it down, the affidavit states. After checking into the hotel, Kramer traveled to a sporting goods store, where agents observed him at the gun counter.
Following his arrest, authorities found a semiautomatic rifle, five rifle magazines, about 190 rounds of ammunition, pepper spray, an entrenchment tool, and about 30 knives, according to the affidavit. Among the items discovered was a handwritten note that read, in part, "DoNt look For me[.] IDK what I did buT I cant live In constant Fear[.]" prosecutors said.
Prosecutors: Suspect was previously tied to mass-casualty plot
Prosecutors said Kramer first came to the FBI's attention in 2023, when he was accused of plotting a mass-casualty attack and possessing child sexual abuse material. He was later found delinquent in Pennsylvania juvenile court.
According to the affidavit, the FBI received a tip in March 2023 about a Telegram user operating under the username "@ShootIntoACrowd" who allegedly had "posted threatening statements alluding to an unidentified act to occur within three months as well as documents on how to make explosives, C4, and car bombs." Investigators later identified the account as belonging to Kramer.
The affidavit also alleges that Kramer asked a 14-year-old in Germany in April 2023 to send him child sexual abuse material. He was subsequently charged by Pennsylvania authorities and sent to a juvenile detention facility.
After his release in March 2026, an anonymous tipster contacted the FBI and reported that Kramer had resumed concerning behavior, including ordering "mysterious" packages and reconnecting with people he knew before his juvenile adjudication, according to prosecutors.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Pennsylvania man accused of preparing attack for Islamic State group
