The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Nevada announced in a statement on Friday that a Las Vegas security guard who allegedly plotted to attack a synagogue and the LGBTQ community is now facing criminal charges for owning the parts of a bomb.
Conor Climo, 23, was arrested Thursday morning on charges of possessing an unregistered firearm and for allegedly owning components of an explosive device at his home in Las Vegas, the statement said.
He was arrested after an extensive investigation by the Joint Terrorism Task Force, which is led by the FBI.
According to Time, officials monitored encrypted online messages with members of the neo-Nazi group the National Sociality Movement, where Climo allegedly talked about attacking a Las Vegas synagogue and building explosive devices such as Molotov cocktails.
In the messages, he used racist, homophobic and anti-Semitic slurs and described “conducting surveillance” at a bar he believed to be a meeting place for the LGBTQ community, the complaint said.
The investigation also points to a 2016 news report by KTNV-TV in Las Vegas where Climo was shown patrolling his neighborhood wearing battle gear and carrying an assault rifle and survival knife. He shows and describes to a reporter the four, 30-bullet ammunition magazines he is carrying.
Neighbors expressed concern at the time, but Climo was not arrested.
Las Vegas Police Officer Aden Ocampo-Gomez noted Friday that Nevada is an open-carry weapon state and Climo broke no laws.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Nancy Koppe ordered Climo to remain in federal custody pending an Aug. 23 court appearance on a federal firearms charge.
If convicted, Climo could face up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
