(The Hill) — The FBI thwarted an apparent plot to harm employees at a Florida office of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), according to court documents filed Monday.
Law enforcement arrested Forrest Kendall Pemberton after he allegedly traveled to Plantation, Fla., in search of AIPAC’s office with several firearms, including an AR-15 rifle.
Pemberton told police he went to the site, a former AIPAC office, to “scout” out the location before returning with the firearms, according to an affidavit signed by FBI special agent Taylor Nicklin.
He was intercepted in a ride-share vehicle carrying the guns on Dec. 25, the first night of Hannukah.
While the court documents do not explicitly name AIPAC as the target, they described it as an organization that “advocates and lobbies for ‘pro-Israel policies that strengthen and expand the U.S.-Israel relationship” — phrasing featured on AIPAC’s website.
Pemberton’s father contacted law enforcement on Dec. 23 to notify them that his son had left home, leaving behind a letter saying he wanted to “close the loop,” “stoke the flames” and say “goodbye” to his family, according to the affidavit.
His computer showed searches and Google Maps queries for AIPAC and its former Plantation office, as well as the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Taxpayer Assistance Center and the IRS Appeals and Chief Counsel Office.
Pemberton checked into a hotel just two miles away from AIPAC's former office on Dec. 22. He checked out on Dec. 23 and was traced to a Tallahassee hotel the next day, where he was seen on Dec. 25 entering the ride-share with an "apparent soft rifle case."
He told police he chose AIPAC as his target because of its “political influence” and location, saying he was frustrated with the “status quo” and wanted to see if he “could make a change,” according to the affidavit.
However, Pemberton said he ultimately decided against "committing criminal action."
“It would have been a one-way ticket, in Plantation, I decided I wasn’t ready. I gave up,” he told police, per the affidavit.
