UPDATE: Kansas Man Pleads Guilty to Aiding Foiled Bomb Plot at Fort Riley
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A man accused of conspiring in a foiled plot to bomb a Kansas military base on behalf of the Islamic State group has pleaded guilty to conspiracy. Alexander E. Blair changed his plea to guilty today (MON) in a Topeka federal court. Prosecutors say Blair helped 21-year-old John T. Booker in his plot to plant a 1,000-pound bomb at the Fort Riley military base to aid the Islamic State group. Blair admitted in court that he loaned Booker $100 to secure a storage space for the explosives and failed to inform law enforcement of the plot. Booker has already pleaded guilty in the case.
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(earlier version of this story)
Change-of-Plea Hearing Set in Kansas Army Base Bomb Plot Case
A court hearing is scheduled this (MON) morning for a Topeka man who's accused of trying to help another man in a plot to bomb Fort Riley. KPR's J. Schafer has more.
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Today's court hearing is for 29-year-old Alexander Blair, of Topeka. Prosecutors say he loaned 21-year-old John T. Booker $100 for storage space for explosives and failed to notify authorities. Booker is the man who intended to plant a 1,000-pound bomb at Fort Riley -- and prosecutors think Blair knew about the plan and helped him. John Booker already pleaded guilty and acknowledged the plot. Now, a federal judge will hear a change-of plea request from Alexander Blair. Blair had pleaded not guilty to the charges earlier, but now... he's changed his mind. Court documents say Blair decided to change his plea because he believes the government has collected enough evidence to convict him of conspiracy. I'm J. Schafer.
