Man accused of trying to sell bomb to terrorists

A 68-year-old man who told undercover agents he has ``no loyalty for America'' has been arrested and charged with trying to build a bomb and sell it to terrorists, U.S. Attorney Michael Shelby announced Monday.

Ronald Allen Grecula, of Bangor, Pa., was arrested Friday in Houston during a meeting with undercover FBI agents. During that meeting, Grecula indicated willingness to build and sell an explosive device that was to be used by al-Qaida or its affiliates against Americans, according to court documents.

Grecula was angry at the government over the custody loss of his children, whom he had kidnapped and fled with to Malta. He served less than a year in prison on that charge.

Grecula made his initial court appearance in the terror case Monday without entering a plea. A detention hearing was scheduled for Thursday. He has been charged with attempting to provide material support and resources to a designated foreign terrorist organization. If convicted, he faces up to 15 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000.

``The charges are serious,'' Shelby told a news conference. ``The very first priority of this administration and this Department of Justice is to stop another 9/11 attack and this is a success story in that effort.''

Peter Bray, a public defender appointed to represent Grecula, had no comment. Grecula told a federal magistrate he is receiving Social Security and works part-time for $400 a month as a dock employee for a moving and storage business.

Grecula met a confidential source for the FBI when he was imprisoned in Malta awaiting extradition to the United States. He had been charged with kidnapping his children, then 10 and 3, in a custody dispute in 2002.

Grecula asked the source to find a client for a large bomb that he was willing to build and sell. He specifically mentioned al-Qaida, but indicated he would sell it to any such group.

Negotiations with the confidential source and later undercover FBI agents continued between April and Friday, according to the complaint against him.

Grecula told the source he could buy all the components for a bomb whose ingredients would include hydrogen chlorine at a welding store. He said he was educated as a mechanical engineer and experiments with alternative fuels and energy, according to the criminal complaint.

During the Friday meeting in Houston with the confidential source and an undercover officer who presented himself as an al-Qaida agent, Grecula said, ``If we had one of those in this room right now filled with hydrogen chlorine, this hotel wouldn't be here. It would be a crater in the ground. Nothing would be here.''

Grecula said he would be willing to build the bomb in exchange for custody of his two children.