Ohio man charged with planning terror attacks in U.S.

The U.S. federal authorities have arrested an Ohio man who traveled to Syria, who was trained with terrorist groups there and who returned to the U.S. with plans to launch attacks, according to a federal indictment on Thursday.

Abdirahman Sheik Mohamud, 23, a U.S. citizen of Columbus originally from Somalia, wanted to do "something big in the United States," and to "go to a military base in Texas and kill three or four American soldiers execution style," according to the Justice Department indictment.

Attacking a prison was part of a backup plan if the former didn't work, the charges said.

The man wanted to join the Islamic State (IS) and he previously posted IS propaganda online, and he has been charged with providing material support to al-Nusrah, an Al Qaida affiliate operating in Syria, according to the indictment.

A year ago, Mohamud bought a one-way plane ticket to Athens with a connection in Istanbul, Turkey where he got off and went to Syria without going to Athens. In Syria, he received training "including shooting weapons, breaking into houses, explosives, and hand-to-hand combat," the indictment said. Mohamud also has been instructed to return to the U.S. to carry out terrorism attacks.

Mohamud was arrested in Columbus in February on state terrorism and money laundering counts. Mohamud will plead not guilty at a Friday arraignment, said his attorney, Sam Shamansky. However, if convicted, he faces up to 38 years in prison.

Mohamud became a U.S. citizen in February 2014, according to the indictment. When Mohamud left for Syria, his brother was already there fighting with terrorists until he was killed in battle in Syria in June 2014. Endi