MYRTLE BEACH, SC (WBTW) – Congressman Tom Rice commented Friday on the arrest of Benjamin McDowell, the man accused of plotting a large scale attack on non-whites in the “spirit of Dylann Roof.”
In a press release, Rice says:
“I’m truly thankful for federal and local law enforcement who were able to stop this senseless planned attack before it was carried out. My thoughts are with my friend Rabbi Avi Perets and all parishioners at Temple Emanu-El Conservative Synagogue. I pray for the wellbeing of those targeted and that justice is served for this evil plot.”
McDowell, 29, of Conway, was arrested Wednesday after he allegedly purchased a gun illegally from an undercover FBI agent with plans “to conduct an attack on non-whites without getting caught,” court documents state.RELATED: Feds arrest Conway man allegedly plotting attack ‘in spirit of Dylann Roof’
Prosecutors said McDowell told the undercover employee he hadn’t decided on a place or time for the attack, but the documents describe the scale of his plans. In one conversation, McDowell told the agent he wanted to “do something on a f****** big scale and write on the f****** building or whatever, ‘In the spirit of Dylann Roof.’”
News13 sat down with McDowell’s mother, Joann Clewis, to talk about her son’s arrest and what happened Wednesday morning when FBI agents knocked on her door.
“I never knew that anything like this was going to happen. I was sitting on the couch and I heard the most awfulest noise on my porch and I looked out the door and all I saw was the law and the FBI,” says Clewis. “When the laws come up on my porch like that, I opened the door and I said, ‘honey, what is going on? What have I done?’”RELATED: Mother of Conway man accused of planning attack in ‘spirit of Dylann Roof’ speaks on son’s arrest
Clewis said federal agents weren’t able to go into detail about why they were at her home, but they did present a search warrant and explained it had to do with her son, Benjamin.
“I said, ‘what has he done?’” explains Clewis. Agents didn’t explain the exact charges at the time, but did tell Clewis that her son was already in police custody.
McDowell is charged with with felon in possession of a firearm or ammunition, according to court documents. Jail records from J. Reuben Long Detention Center show he was booked at 4:56 p.m. Wednesday.
According to the SC Attorney General’s Office, McDowell appeared before a federal magistrate judge Thursday morning in Florence. A detention hearing is scheduled for Feb. 21 in Florence.
