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New Pictures Released In Terror Case Against Ashland Man

WORCESTER (CBS) – An Ashland man accused of plotting terror attacks was back in court Friday.

Federal prosecutors say Rezwan Ferdaus wanted to fly remote-controlled planes loaded with explosives into the Pentagon and U.S. Capitol.

The 26-year-old was arrested in September after undercover federal agents delivered materials he allegedly requested. Those included grenades, six machine guns and what authorities said he believed was 25 pounds of C-4 explosives.

WBZ-TV's Karen Anderson reports

WBZ NewsRadio 1030's Lana Jones reports

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Prosecutors released pictures of Ferdaus with an undercover agent holding an AK-47.

Another picture shows Ferdaus, according to prosecution, with one of the remote controlled airplanes he wanted to fill with explosives and attack the Pentagon and U.S. Capitol.

All were taken in the storage unit he rented in Framingham.

FBI Special Agent Davis testified about the attack plan he says Ferdaus provided to undercover employees. He says the plans for the attacks were given to undercover agents on a thumb drive. The plan allegedly included a ground attack plan to shoot people fleeing the Pentagon and Capitol buildings.

The FBI says undercover agents had 18 meetings with Ferdaus, and in each meeting they urged him not to go through with the attack.

Ferdaus allegedly told undercover agents that he had been planning an attack for a year before he met them, and also talked about attacking a subway and military base in Colorado.

Rezwan Ferdaus
Prosecutors say this photo shows Ferdaus placing explosives in an RC plane.

The FBI says that Ferdaus wanted to attack the U.S. because, "It is an evil land."

An instructional video played in court appeared to show Ferdaus explaining how to make a detonator out of a cell phone.

The FBI says that Ferdaus was excited when he learned that detonators he made had killed US soldiers He allegedly said, "This is exactly what I wanted. I am so blessed."

Ferdaus had about a dozen members of family and friends in the courtroom. They say this is a case of entrapment involving a young man with a mental illness.

Ferdaus' attorney says the FBI informant who talked with him at mosque was a drug dealer.

WBZ-TV's Karen Anderson contributed to this report.

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