Men held on terror charges facing further counts in plot against blogger
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Two men from the Boston area already being held on charges of conspiracy to provide material support to ISIS faced new charges Thursday that they conspired to commit acts of terrorism, federal authorities said in a statement.
Nicholas Rovinski of Warwick, R.I., and David Daoud Wright, of Everett, Mass., were charged with conspiracy to commit acts of terrorism transcending national boundaries, relating to allegations they were targeting a blogger based in New York, U.S. Attorney Carmen Ortiz and other federal authorities said in the joint statement.
They pleaded not guilty in 2015 to conspiring to provide material support to a terrorist organization. Lawyers representing them did not immediately return messages from the Associated Press seeking comment on the new charges.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Prosecutors allege the two plotted with Wright's uncle, Usaamah Rahim, to behead a conservative blogger known for provoking Muslims. The plot was not carried out.
As early as February 2015, Wright began discussing with Rovinski and Rahim ISIS’s call to kill non-believers in the United States, according to the federal indictment. The document alleged they later began plotting and recruiting for a “martyrdom operation cell.” They also conducted internet searches that included information about firearms and tranquilizer effectiveness on humans.
The indictment said Islamic State recruiter Junaid Hussain communicated instructions about the plot directly to Rahim. Their main intended victim lived in New York, the document said.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Hussain was killed in a drone strike. Rahim was killed by investigators.
Fox News' Matthew Dean and the Associated Press contributed to this report.