Federal agents arrested a Pennsylvania man over the weekend, thwarting an alleged ISIS-inspired attack plot. Jonathan Hunter Kramer, 21, of Valencia, was intercepted upon returning to a hotel in Cranberry Township with multiple rifle magazines and boxes of ammunition, the Justice Department announced Tuesday. He faces charges for receiving a firearm and ammunition with knowledge they would be used in a felony or federal terrorism crime, as well as providing or conspiring to provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization.
"Thanks to the outstanding work of our FBI and Department of Justice, this alleged attack was thwarted before innocent lives could be lost." Attorney General Todd Blanche
Attorney General Todd Blanche commended the swift action of law enforcement. "Thanks to the outstanding work of our FBI and Department of Justice, this alleged attack was thwarted before innocent lives could be lost," Blanche stated. The arrest follows an intensive investigation that began after an anonymous tip in March 2026, shortly after Kramer's release from a juvenile detention facility.
Investigators revealed that Kramer allegedly used the online alias "Hamza Al Rashid" and had pledged allegiance to ISIS, claiming affiliation with the terrorist organization. Online communications reportedly showed Kramer offering to distribute explosives manuals and stating his preparations for a "mission," noting he still required a "weapon." These online activities raised significant alarms for federal authorities.
The FBI had previously investigated Kramer in 2023 when he was a minor. During that time, he was adjudicated delinquent in Pennsylvania for his involvement in a separate alleged mass-casualty attack plot and for possession of child sexual abuse material. The anonymous tip received on March 19 claimed Kramer was ordering "mysterious" packages and communicating with associates from before his juvenile adjudication, prompting federal agents to resume surveillance.
FBI agents observed Kramer leaving his home on a Friday, traveling by rideshare to a store where he allegedly purchased a disposable cellphone. Authorities further tracked him to a parking lot meeting with another individual, from whom he reportedly received a long black bag. Kramer then proceeded to a hotel in Cranberry Township, paying cash for a room. Witnesses at both the store and the hotel reported hearing metallic noises when Kramer handled the bag, with one hotel guest specifically noting the sound resembled firearm magazines striking one another.
Agents subsequently observed Kramer visiting a sporting-goods store and approaching its gun counter. Federal agents moved to confront him after he returned to the hotel carrying two bags. Searches conducted on Kramer, his hotel room, and his residence allegedly uncovered a DPMS Panther Arms semiautomatic rifle, five magazines—two loaded and three capable of holding 30 rounds each—and 190 rounds of 5.56-caliber ammunition. In addition to the firearms, investigators reported finding a rifle scope, a bipod, an entrenchment tool, pepper spray, and approximately 30 knives. A handwritten note was also recovered, which read, "DoNt look For me[.] IDK what I did buT I cant live In constant Fear[.]"
FBI Director Kash Patel confirmed that Kramer was allegedly "plotting a violent attack in support of ISIS," citing his online communications and the acquisition of a firearm and ammunition as key evidence. While the Justice Department has not publicly identified an intended location, target, or planned date for the alleged attack, authorities emphasized the seriousness of the thwarted plot.
Kramer was booked into the Butler County Jail and made his initial appearance in federal court on Monday. Prosecutors have requested that he remain detained without bond, asserting that his release would pose a significant danger to the community. The investigation remains ongoing as federal authorities work to uncover any further details regarding the alleged plot and Kramer's potential associates.
