Jose Pimentel
{{Short description|Bomb plotter}}
{{Infobox person
|name = Jose Pimentel
|image =
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|birth_name =
|birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1984|11|08|mf=y}}
|birth_place = Dominican Republic
|nationality = American
|citizenship = American
|known_for = Arrested for allegedly plotting to bomb New York City
|alma_mater =
|organization =
|criminal_charge = 3 counts of terrorism-related crimes and two other counts
|criminal_penalty =
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Jose Pimentel (born November 8, 1984[http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2011/11/21/mother-of-suspected-lone-wolf-terrorist-apologizes-to-city/ Mother Of Suspected 'Lone Wolf' Terrorist Apologizes To City]), also known as Muhammad Yusuf, is a naturalized U.S. citizen arrested on November 20, 2011, by the New York City Police Department for allegedly plotting to bomb New York City.{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/22/nyregion/for-jose-pimentel-bomb-plot-suspect-an-online-trail.html|title=Suspect in New York Bomb Plot Left an Online Trail|last=Barron|first=James|date=21 November 2011|work=The New York Times|accessdate=21 November 2011}}
Early life
Pimentel is originally from the Dominican Republic and moved to the United States when he was five years old. In 2004, he moved to Schenectady, New York, to attend college and converted to Islam that same year. In December 2005, he was arrested for buying a computer with stolen credit card information he got while working at a Circuit City in Albany, New York.
Bomb plot
Pimentel's alleged targets included U.S. troops returning home from Iraq and Afghanistan.{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-15814383|title=New York man arrested suspected of bomb plot|work=BBC|publisher=21 November 2011|accessdate=21 November 2011|date=21 November 2011}} Pimentel is reported to have shown theological interest in Anwar al-Awlaki, posting at least fifteen video clips of the extremist cleric to his YouTube account and posting materials from Awlaki and other terrorists on his website, trueislam1.com.[http://webarchive.loc.gov/all/20111208200642/http://www.adl.org/main_Terrorism/jose_pimentel_awlaki_terrorism_homegrown_jihad.htm Al Qaeda Inspired New York Resident Arrested on Terrorism Charges], Anti-Defamation League, November 21, 2011.[https://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/story/2011-11-21/new-york-bomb-plot-terror-suspect-jose-pimentel-awlaki/51339944/1 Terror plot shows al-Awlaki's influence lives on after death] After his arrest, information surfaced that the FBI had declined to get involved in the case as they thought Pimentel was incapable of successfully executing the attack and was merely mentally unstable.{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2011/nov/21/jose-pimentel-bomb-suspect-fbi|title=New York bomb suspect Jose Pimentel not a serious terror threat: FBI sources|last=McVeigh|first=Karen|date=21 November 2011|work=The Guardian|accessdate=21 November 2011|location=London}} The Huffington Post reported that Pimentel smoked marijuana with the NYPD's cooperating informant in the case, and was likely high when making some of the incriminating statements recorded by police.{{cite news| url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/11/22/jose-pimentel-terror-susp_n_1107677.html?ref=new-york&icid=maing-grid7%7Cmain5%7Cdl1%7Csec3_lnk3%7C114890 | work=Huffington Post | first=Christopher | last=Mathias | title=Jose Pimentel Smoked Marijuana With NYPD Informant, Tried To Circumcise Himself | date=22 November 2011}} Police outlets claim that he was planning to change his name to Osama Hussein to celebrate his heroes Osama bin Laden and Saddam Hussein, though these claims have been heavily disputed by members of the Hamilton Heights community.
See also
{{AmericanTerrorism|state=}}