April 9 (UPI) — A Maryland man was charged with stealing a U-Haul van to carry out an attack inspired by the 2016 truck attack in Nice, France.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland announced Monday it had charged Rondell Henry, 28, with interstate transportation of a stolen vehicle for allegedly stealing a U-Haul vehicle last month.
“We continue to gather evidence, as well as review evidence already obtained as part of this ongoing investigation,” U.S. Attorney Robert K. Hurr said.
Henry is set to appear in court for a detention hearing on Tuesday.
On March 26, Alexandria Police Department was alerted about a leased U-Haul vehicle that was stolen from a parking garage at a mall in Alexandria, Va.
The driver was being followed by a blue BMW, which records later revealed was registered to Henry, and when police arrived at the garage they found the BMW near where the U-Haul was stolen.
The U-Haul was located at the National Harbor in Maryland on March 27, and Henry was arrested the next day after law enforcement reviewed surveillance footage showing Henry parking and exiting the vehicle.
According to the detention motion, Henry harbored “hatred” for those who don’t practice the Muslim faith for two years and was inspired by watching videos of foreign terrorists to carry out an attack similar to the 2016 Nice attack, which IS claimed credit for.
Prosecutors said that after stealing the U-Haul, Henry drove around Dulles International Airport but didn’t find a large enough crowd to carry out the attack and drove to National Harbor.
If convicted, Henry faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison.
