Cleveland man arrested for allegedly planning July Fourth terror attack

FBI agents on Sunday arrested a man allegedly planning a Fourth of July terror attack in downtown Cleveland.

Demetrius Pitts, 48, was charged with attempting to support the terrorist group al Qaeda, per an FBI affidavit obtained by WKYC. In June, Pitts allegedly discussed bombing Cleveland's July Fourth fireworks display with an undercover agent posing as an al Qaeda member.

"Just last week, this defendant was walking around downtown Cleveland conducting reconnaissance on what he believed was a large-scale attack," U.S. District Attorney Justin Herdman said at a Monday news conference. "He looked for a place to park a van full of explosives."

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The FBI wouldn't say whether Pitts had the means to carry out the attack, only that he had the "desire and intent," Cleveland.com reports. On Monday, he will appear in federal court where he faces up to 20 years in prison.