SPECIAL REPORT
Investigation Time Line
From our Newspapers
RETURN
The Investigation:
Step-by-Step Details
of Alleged Plot
In an affidavit presented to the United States District Court for the Northern District of West Virginia, J.C. Rafferty, Special Agent for the Federal Bureau of Investigation, outlined the investigation that led to the arrest of seven suspects in an alleged plot to blow up the FBI Fingerprint Identification Center in Clarksburg.
The FBI's investigation centers around details provided by a "cooperative witness," said to be a close associate of Ray Looker's, a "confidential source" who is not a federal agent but a source of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco & Firearms and an undercover FBI agent.
Here's an outline of the investigation and the allegations:
June 5, 1995
The cooperative witness contacted the FBI and relayed information concerning a training session of the Mountaineer Militia that took place on June 4. At this meeting, held in Fink, Lewis County, suspects Ray Looker and James "Rich" Rogers were involved in discussions pertaining to potential targets against which militia efforts would be directed in the event of confrontation with the federal government.
Looker identified the FBI Criminal Justice Information Services facility in Clarksburg, and two other federal facilities in the state, as the three primary targets. Rogers indicated he had knowledge of the FBI facility due to his job as a City of Clarksburg firefighter.
Aug. 29, 1995
Looker, Rogers and the cooperative witness met at Veterans' Memorial Park in Clarksburg. Looker told those present theFBI/CJIS facility could track every person in the U.S. and said Rogers, as the Harrison County militia commander, should target the facility in the event of hostile action against the government by the Mountaineer Militia.
When asked by the cooperative witness if Rogers understood the militia's intent to disrupt or destroy the facility, he, "though visibly shaken" stated he did understand and volunteered information about the facility. He also said the CFD had blueprints. Looker requested Rogers to obtain intelligence information pertaining to the FBI facility. Rogers agreed to do so.
Aug. 31, 1995
The FBI received information that Looker was seeking to obtain explosives for purposes related to his position as commanding general of the West Virginia Mountaineer Militia.
Dec. 28, 1995
Rogers met with the cooperative witness at a Clarksburg restaurant and inquired if the militia still had plans involving the FBI facility. Rogers indicated that he now had access to the blueprints and gave detailed information about the FBI facility. He indicated that he might be able to obtain the blueprints after the holidays. The cooperative witness later relayed that information to Looker.
Feb. 5, 1996
Looker met with the undercover agent who was posing as a middleman looking to sell explosives or information to Middle East terrorists. Looker said that a member of the militia had access to the FBI facility blueprints and could make them available if a buyer could be found.
Feb. 9, 1996
Looker, Rogers and the cooperative witness met and Rogers said he was willing to provide the blueprints as early as the weekend of Feb.
10-11.
Feb. 18, 1996
Rogers provided the cooperative witness with two large photographs of vicinity maps of the FBI facility and 35 photographs of blueprints.
Feb. 22, 1996
The cooperative witness took the photographs to the chief engineer of theFBI/CJIS who reviewed them and confirmed their authenticity.
March 7, 1996
Rogers met with Looker and the cooperative witness and explained in detail each of the photos.
March 24, 1996
Both the cooperative witness and the confidential source advised investigators that during a training session of the Mountaineer Militia at its facility in Lewis County, suspect Ed Moore provided instruction to militia members on explosives and explosives manufacturing. Moore also made and detonated a bomb that "produced a very loud report and created a crater approximately 24 inches in diameter."
May 11, 1996
Looker and the cooperative witness prepared a detailed package of information containing the photographs of the blueprints of the FBI center for the purpose of negotiating a sale of the information to the undercover agent in the capacity of "broker" for resale to an unnamed Middle Eastern terrorist organization.
May 25-29, 1996
During a training session in Lewis County, Looker introduced the cooperative witness to Jack Phillips, whom Looker described as a chemical engineer with the capability of making C-4 plastic explosives.
Phillips agreed to prepare a "shopping list" of equipment and chemicals he would need to manufacture explosives.
On May 29, the three met at a Clarksburg-area restaurant and Phillips provided Looker with the list and discussed the necessary quantity and distribution plans for the explosives.
June 1, 1996
Looker and the cooperative witness met with Moore at a Flatwoods restaurant. Looker and Moore discussed plans of manufacturing C-4 and blasting caps. Moore indicated he could manufacture the explosives and blasting caps without traceability. He also said he was working on a fuel-air explosive device which could engulf "two football fields" in area.
July 21, 1996
Looker and the cooperative witness drove to Moore's residence in Lavalette (Wayne County) for a meeting. The availability and cost of nitromethane, a key component of the desired explosive, were discussed in detail as were other explosive devices Moore had made or was interested in making.
Aug. 25, 1996
The cooperative witness met with Moore at his residence. Moore believed that law enforcement authorities were aware of illegal conduct on the part of Looker, Phillips, the cooperative witness and himself. Moore was apparently spooked by an unannounced ATF inspection of his residence incidental to his explosives permit.
Sept. 5, 1996
Looker and the cooperative witness met with Phillips at his residence in Fairmont. At this meeting, Phillips identified specific equipment he needed to manufacture explosives and Looker instructed the cooperative witness to provide the necessary equipment.
Sept. 19, 1996
Looker met with the undercover agent in Clarksburg and agreed to provide the package of information containing the photographs of FBI blueprints in exchange for $50,000 with the transfer to occur within 30 days.
Sept. 27, 1996
The cooperative witness delivered laboratory equipment to the Phillips' residence. During the visit, the cooperative witness observed a plastic bag with approximately 10 pounds of ammonium nitrate and another bag with one to two pounds of potassium nitrate.
Oct. 2, 1996
The witness delivered additional equipment to Phillips' residence and saw additional bomb-making chemicals and equipment.
Oct. 11, 1996
Looker met with the undercover agent in Morgantown to complete the transaction of selling the dossier of confidential FBI information. After completing the sale, Looker was
arrested.
Rogers, Phillips, Moore and three other men were also placed under arrest.
Updated October 14, 1996
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