CLEVELAND/WASHINGTON (Reuters) - An Ohio man arrested on suspicion of planning to detonate a bomb at Cleveland’s Fourth of July celebrations and then stand by and watch “it go off” was granted a public defender on Monday during his initial court appearance.

FBI agents on Sunday arrested Demetrius Pitts, 48, after he met with an undercover agent and said he planned to plant a bomb at an event celebrating the U.S. Independence Day holiday in the Ohio city.

Pitts, a U.S. citizen and Philadelphia native who had expressed allegiance to the al Qaeda militant group, intended to target other locations in Cleveland and Philadelphia, the agency said.

An undercover FBI agent helped Pitts pick the location for his planned attack. The site is near multiple U.S. government buildings and a scheduled fireworks show along the city’s Lake Erie waterfront.

“I’m gonna be downtown when the – when the thing go off. I’m gonna be somewhere cuz I wanna see it go off,” Pitts told an undercover agent who he believed was affiliated with al Qaeda, according to court documents.

Most American cities and towns mark the holiday with fireworks and parades, and typically ramp up security around such events.

In 2015, U.S. law enforcement officials said they had arrested more than 10 people inspired by the Islamic State militant group ahead of the Fourth of July holiday, saying the arrests had disrupted planned attacks.

Pitts also suggested giving the children of military personnel remote control cars packed with explosives during the event, in the hope they would unwittingly detonate the bombs, the FBI said.

Pitts, most recently of the Cleveland suburb of Maple Heights, has criminal and traffic convictions in Hamilton County, which includes Cincinnati, dating back to 1989 through 2006. He served time in prison for a 1993 robbery in the area.

In his latest run-in with law enforcement, he was charged with attempting to provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization. He faces up to 20 years in prison if convicted.

He appeared in court wearing glasses, a gray T-shirt, khaki shorts and black sneakers with the laces removed. He told the judge he was unemployed and was assigned to the public defender’s office.

Pitts also discussed possibly traveling to San Francisco for reconnaissance for al Qaeda, the FBI said.

Relatives could not immediately be reached for comment.

“This defendant, by his own words and by his own deeds, wanted to attack our nation and its ideals,” said Justin Herdman, the U.S. attorney for northern Ohio.

According to one of two of his Facebook pages, Pitts attended culinary school in Philadelphia, lived in Chicago and went to high school in Lincoln City, Oregon.

The FBI reviewed the Ohio suspect’s Facebook account, which appeared to have been taken down on Monday, after receiving a tip and determined that Pitts was “threatening violence against the United States,” the FBI said.

Demetrius Pitts, 48, arrested by the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force and charged with one count of attempting to provide material support to al Qaeda, is seen in this booking photo taken while in custody with North Olmsted Police Department in North Olmsted, Ohio, U.S., July 2, 2018. Courtesy North Olmsted Police Department/Handout via REUTERS

In January 2017, under the name Abdur Raheem Rafeeq, Pitts commented on pictures believed to be of a training camp for militants.

But officials said he had been radicalized in the United States.

“We need to known how to shoot guns... We should always be prepared to fight in the name of Allah Akbar,” the post read, according to the FBI.</s>CLEVELAND - The terror suspect arrested Sunday for plotting to carry out an attack on downtown Cleveland on the Fourth of July made his first appearance in federal court Monday.

This was the first time the public was able to see Demterius Nathaniel Pitts.

He entered wearing a gray T-shirt, khaki shorts and black and white sneakers - the same clothing he was wearing when FBI agents arrested him Sunday afternoon.

He was also seen reading, for the first time, the 30-page complaint detailing conversations that he had with undercover FBI agents who thwarted this attack.

**To read the entire 30-page complaint against Pitts, click here**

Pitts gave the judge a one-word answer of “yes” when asked if he understood the charges against him and to confirm that he wanted a court-appointed federal attorney to defend him.

Federal prosecutors say Pitts expressed a desire to join Al Qaeda and kill US citizens, including military personnel and their families.

This all came to light as he told the undercover FBI agent of his plot to conduct a July 4 attack on Voinovich Park, where the fireworks are set off every year in downtown Cleveland.

Other targets Pitts identified were St. John Cathedral, the federal building and The U.S. Coast Guard station.

The 48-year-old is a US citizen and Philadelphia native but became radicalized. He is also known by the names Abdur Raheem Rafeeq and Salah ad-Deem Osama Waleed.

Pitts has been on the FBI’s radar for a couple of years but was not introduced to the undercover FBI agent who he believed to be an Al Qaeda brother until this year .

The FBI declined to say if Pitts had access to or was capable of making an explosive. It’s still not clear if agents plan to search his home in Maple Heights

He is facing one count of attempting to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization and he faces a maximum of 20 years in federal prison if he is convicted.

He’s due back in court on July 5 at 10am for a pre-trial hearing at the federal courthouse in downtown Cleveland.</s>This story was updated at 3:30 p.m. with information from a news conference.

CLEVELAND — The FBI says he wanted to recruit people to kill Americans.

He’s accused of telling an undercover agent he would have no remorse if he took lives in the name of religion.

And on Wednesday — according to a criminal complaint filed in federal court — he wanted to use remote-controlled toy cars to set off multiple bombs in an attack designed to terrorize Cleveland as the city celebrated Independence Day.

“They kill one of us, we kill ten thousand of them,” Demetrius Nathaniel Pitts, 48, said in a video FBI agents found on his phone. “They kill two of us, we kill the whole city.”

Now Pitts, who grew up in Philadelphia and was living in Maple Heights, Ohio, faces federal terrorism charges and accusations of plotting a terrorism attack during the Fourth of July parade in Cleveland.

Federal agents arrested the man Sunday and charged him in U.S. District Court with attempting to provide material support to al-Qaeda. For years, through various social media accounts, Pitts has expressed a desire to kill Americans, according to an FBI affidavit filed in the case.

News of the arrest comes as cities across the country, including Toledo, prepare for Fourth of July celebrations.

Capt. Kevin Braun, with the Toledo Police Department, said local law enforcement agencies were planning on a heavy police presence during the holiday even before news of the thwarted attack in Cleveland.

“We're going to have well over 100 uniformed officers downtown on the Fourth of July between us and the Lucas County Sheriff's office, so anybody who's coming down can expect to see a lot of police,” Captain Braun said.

Justin Herdman, U.S. attorney for the Northern District of Ohio, said Pitts wanted to target the country’s ideals, which was why he planned to strike on the Fourth of July.

“He wanted us to be afraid to speak our minds, but also to be afraid to gather in public spaces,” Mr. Herdman said. “So I ask people this week to continue to gather, continue to celebrate America, continue to engage in the push and pull of ideas that a democracy requires of us, continue to have your barbecues this week, continue to go watch the fireworks.”

The FBI affidavit details conversations Pitts had with an undercover agent who he believed was an al-Qaeda “brother” helping him carry out the attack.

Pitts is accused of taking photos and videos of potential targets in downtown Cleveland, including the U.S Coast Guard station, Celebrezze Federal Building, and St. John’s Cathedral. He then passed the photos and videos to the agent, who he believed was connected to a network of “brothers,” one of whom would be building a bomb into a remote-controlled toy car, the affidavit states.

The agent, in turn, gave Pitts “updates” about the progress of the bomb-building.

WATCH: Federal agents arrested a man for attempting to provide support to Al-Qaeda

Pitts met with the agent on June 15; one of several meetings between the pair throughout June, the affidavit stated. Pitts told the agent Washington would be too difficult a target because of all the security, and he ultimately decided to attack the Fourth of July parade in Cleveland.

“What would hit them in the core?” he said. “... have a bomb to blow up at the 4th of July parade.”

The plan was to have the car — decorated in American flags so no one would be suspicious — come down the street and explode in the middle of the parade, the affidavit stated. Later, Pitts changed his mind and wanted to park a van full of explosives near Voinovich Park, where the fireworks were set to be launched. Then, he further amended his plan to use the toy car as a diversion and then blow up the van.

At one point he suggested they could give the remote-controlled toy cars packed with explosives to children of service members, so the children could take the cars home and then accidentally blow up their own houses, the affidavit stated.

Pitts also wanted to plan an attack on Philadelphia, his hometown, on Labor Day, the affidavit stated.

Assistant Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey Fortunato, with the FBI Cleveland Division, encouraged people to live their lives normally and not let terror change the way they behave. But he also said people who see something suspicious should notify the authorities.

“People who live in an area know what’s [normal] for that area,” he said. “It was a member of the public that got us started looking at Mr. Pitts.”

On Dec. 31, 2015, under the name Abdur Raheem Rafeeq, Pitts sent a Facebook message to a political commentary show about how the United States will be destroyed, the affidavit stated. In January, he used that account to comment on photos believed to be from a jihad training camp. The FBI Cincinnati Division reviewed Pitts’ Facebook account from February, 2017, until April, 2018, when he moved from Cincinnati to Cleveland.

Agent Fortunato said law enforcement is investigating Pitts’ relationships and contacts, and Pitts appears to be an isolated case. He could not say if more charges would be filed.

In a similar case in Toledo recently, two brothers in April pleaded guilty in federal court to charges related to providing money to a known terrorist.

Sultane Roome Salim and Asif Ahmed Salim each face up to eight years for concealment of financing of terrorism.

In 2009, the two gave money to a former Toledo man, Ibrahim Zubair Mohammad, which ultimately was delivered to Anwar al-Awlaki in Yemen. Al-Awlaki was a key leader of al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula who was killed by a U.S. drone in 2011.

Contact Kate Snyder at ksnyder@theblade.com, 419-724-6282 or on Twitter @KL_Snyder.</s>CLEVELAND – Federal authorities have arrested a man who allegedly planned a terrorist-style attack in downtown Cleveland on July 4.

The FBI said Demetrius Nathaniel Pitts -- aka Abdur Raheem Rafeeq -- was taken into custody Sunday around 10 a.m. on accusations of attempting to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization.

"He talked about wanting to target people watching fireworks over downtown Cleveland," United States Attorney Justin Herdman said.

NOTE: You can see a full copy of Pitts' affidavit at the bottom of this story.

Pitts was scheduled to make his first court appearance on Monday, but that has been moved to July 5.

Last week, Pitts allegedly told an undercover agent: "I did tell myself that their holiday is coming up. The Fourth of July. Independence Day. What would hit them in the core? Blow up. Have a bomb. Blow up at the Fourth of July parade."

Authorities say Pitts talked about hitting targets like St. John's Cathedral and giving remote control cars packed with explosives and shrapnel to the children of military members.

"Just last week, this defendant was walking around downtown Cleveland conducting reconnaissance on what he thought was a large-scale attack planned for the Fourth of July," Herdman said. "He looked for locations to park a van that would be packed with explosives."

Among the places he allegedly explored within his plan were Voinovich Park and the U.S. Coast Guard Station.

On Sunday during his final meeting with an undercover agent, authorities say Pitts expressed allegiance to al-Qaeda and discussed his desire to kill military personnel and their families. He also allegedly wanted to conduct a future attack in Philadelphia, a place he previously lived.

Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson issued the following statement in regards to Pitts' arrest: "I want to thank the FBI and all the members of the Joint Terrorism Task Force -- men and women whose primary goal is to make Northeast Ohio safe. These law enforcement partners continue to secure us against those who seek to disrupt our way of life through violence and the threat of terrorist acts."

The FBI in Cincinnati began investigating Pitts in 2017 amid concerns he was making statements of violent intentions while living in southern Ohio. In May, he relocated to the Cleveland area where the local FBI office picked up the investigation.

Authorities said he also made some "disturbing" Facebook posts with comments urging other Muslims to learn how to shoot guns and throw hand grenades.

"Additional conversations with extremely concerning statements of intentions made by Pitts are specified in the federal complaint," said Stephen Anthony, FBI Special Agent in Charge. "They include topics such as hatred for the military, wanting to chop off heads and hands and disposing of bodies."

"This plot underscores the threat we continue to face from home-grown terrorism," U.S. Sen Rob Portman said in a statement. "I applaud the FBI and its law enforcement partners for their hard work to stop this threat and ensure that everyone can have a safe and secure Fourth."

Pitts, who has an extensive criminal history, is a United States citizen.

You can watch the entire FBI press conference here:</s>Federal authorities have arrested a man who from Cincinnati who was allegedly planning a terrorist-style attack in downtown Cleveland on the upcoming July 4 holiday.

Demetrius Nathaniel Pitts, 48, was arrested in the Cleveland area Sunday morning, according to Steve Anthony, Cleveland FBI special agent in charge.

The FBI said Pitts, otherwise known as Abdur Raheem Rafeeq, was taken into custody Sunday around 10 a.m. on accusations of attempting to provide support to a foreign terrorist organization, according to WKYC3.

According to WKYC, Pitts allegedly told an undercover agent: “I did tell myself that their holiday is coming up. The Fourth of July. Independence Day. What would hit them in the core? Blow up. Have a bomb. Blow up at the Fourth of July parade.”

Authorities state that Pitts talked about targeting St. John’s Cathedral, and gifting cars packed with explosives and shrapnel to the children of military members, according to WKYC.

“Just last week, this defendant was walking around downtown Cleveland conducting reconnaissance on what he thought was a large-scale attack planned for the Fourth of July,” United States Attorney Justin Herdman said. “He looked for locations to park a van that would be packed with explosives.”

Pitts allegedly looked to target Voinovich Park and the U.S. Coast Guard Station.

This is a developing story. Heavy will update as more information is known.</s>CLEVELAND -– Earlier this year, the city of Cleveland proclaimed July 3 as Joe Thomas Day to honor the 10-time Pro-Bowler.

The Cleveland Browns left tackle announced his retirement in March, citing knee and back injuries preventing him from playing at the required level.

Shortly after, Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson signed the proclamation making 7-3 a day to celebrate No. 73.

“Mr. Thomas has remained tirelessly committed to the people of Cleveland and his hard work is to be commended. He was integral part of the Cleveland Browns organization. His many contributions to the Cleveland community are appreciated and his retirement is well-deserved,” the mayor wrote in the resolution.

More stories on the Cleveland Browns here</s>THE ‘KING’ OFF TO LA

CLEVELAND — Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert didn’t trash LeBron James on his way out of town this time.

Instead, he promised to retire his jersey.

Eight years after he famously criticized James for leaving as a free agent in a letter, Gilbert thanked the superstar for coming back to Cleveland and ending the city’s half-century championship drought.

James announced on Sunday night that he’s agreed to join the Los Angeles Lakers, a decision that dredged up bad memories for some Cavs fans.

Although James is leaving Cleveland again, Gilbert used the occasion to wish James well, opening his statement by recalling the night in 2016 when James led the Cavs to a Game 7 win in the NBA Finals over Golden State. That victory gave Cleveland its first professional sports title since 1964.

“A championship that united generations of Clevelanders, both living and passed,” Gilbert said.

“Virtually anyone with roots in Northeast Ohio paused and felt the memories of the past and the utter joy that the burden of the so-called `curse’ was finally a thing of the past. Cleveland, Ohio was the home of a championship team for the first time since 1964. Words do not express the meaning and the feeling this accomplishment brought to the people of Northeast Ohio.”

Gilbert, whose relationship with James improved after the Cavs’ title but was always a source of speculation, went on to credit the four-time MVP for delivering on his promise to make Cleveland a championship city.

“None of this would have happened if LeBron James did not agree to come back home and lead the Cavaliers to the promised land,” Gilbert said.

“The entire Cavaliers franchise thanks LeBron for that precious moment and for all of the excitement he delivered as he led our team to four straight NBA Finals appearances.</s>CLEVELAND— Dick Feagler, a columnist and TV personality in Cleveland for five decades, died on Sunday. He was just shy of his 80th birthday.

Feagler wrote for the Cleveland Press, the Akron Beacon Journal, Cleveland Magazine and The Plain Dealer. He also spent time at Channel 3 and hosted his own talk show on WVIZ called “Feagler and Friends.” He retired in 2013.

The Cleveland native won countless awards over the course of his career, including a Peabody Award in 1991. He was inducted into the Press Club of Cleveland Hall of Fame in 1994.</s>Frank Zappa famously said you can’t be a real country unless you have a beer and an airline. In America, it’s beginning to look like you can’t be a real city unless you have a beer trail (and maybe some sort of airport to boot).

Cleveland is the latest city to announce it's creating its own official beer trail — a trend that’s been increasingly popular in cities, states, and regions across the country as more areas look to capitalize on the growing phenomenon of beer tourism that has sprung up in the wake of America’s decade-long craft beer boom (the number of breweries in the country has ballooned to a once-unfathomable 6,300-plus).

Destination Cleveland, billed as the city’s “private non-profit convention and visitors bureau,” calls their trail the Cleveland Brewery Passport, and as the name implies, it comes with a physical passport (available from either Destination Cleveland or at participating breweries). The trail includes 30 breweries, all of which are within 25 miles of downtown, like Willoughby Brewing Co. to the east, Avon Brewing Co. to the west and The Brew Kettle in Strongsville to the south. Collecting stamps in your passport comes with rewards: eight stamps score you a Cleveland bottle opener, all 30 stamps earn you a Cleveland hat — and if you complete the whole trail in a year, you can enter to win a Cleveland getaway package.

“We've obviously been seeing [beer trails] in different areas of Ohio and the country. And we knew, too, that our brewery industry was just booming and has been for the past few years,” Jennifer Kramer, senior marketing manager for Destination Cleveland, told Crain’s Business Cleveland, which pointed out that the Ohio Craft Brewers Association now says there are eight official beer trails in the state. “We thought it was the perfect time to launch this because the brewers were talking about it, and we have lots of these folks as partners.”

Speaking of perfect timing, the announcement of the trail broke this morning, pretty much right around the time as that other big Cleveland news…that LeBron James is leaving the city to join the Los Angeles Lakers. In the wake of that bombshell, at least Cavalier fans now have a 30-stop brewery crawl to drink away their pain.</s>LeBron James‘ decision to join the Los Angeles Lakers in free agency created an immediate void atop the Cleveland sports world. James, arguably the best NBA player ever, played 11 of his first 15 seasons in Cleveland. The King also delivered Cleveland its first major sports championship in over 50 years.

Of course, all good things must come to an end. LeBron will finish his career elsewhere and Cleveland is left wondering what’s next. While the Cavaliers may have some rough times to come, a new hope in Cleveland may be closer than people think. At least, that’s what young Cleveland Browns talent Myles Garrett thinks. The former Aggie seems more than ready for center stage in Cleveland.

The second-year pro tweeted the King himself stating that if LeBron “didn’t want to take his thrown with him (Garrett) would take it”. The tweet was a bold statement from Garrett, especially with regards to the Browns 0-16 record in 2017. That being said, the statement from the Browns 2017 #1 overall pick did not ring hollow in Cleveland.

Garrett has certainly said all the right things during his time in Cleveland. He has quickly become a fan favorite for both on and off-field reasons. Quite frankly the only thing Garrett has not done in Cleveland yet is win.

Garrett should have the opportunity to do just that in 2018. New Browns general manager John Dorsey has spent the off-season retooling both the roster and the staff in Cleveland. Garrett will look to be the centerpiece of a Browns defense injected with youth and athleticism, particularly in the secondary. While the new additions still have to prove they can mesh together to generate success, the future has not been this bright in Cleveland in quite a while.

In fact, the Browns retooling seems to have come at just the right time. If the Browns felt like the same old cellar-dweller, the departure of LeBron would have felt devastating in Cleveland. While the exit certainly hurts, many in Cleveland seem oddly optimistic. The culture of the city itself is changing, and Garrett and the Browns, as surprising as that sounds, are a big reason why.
Demetrius Pitts, accused of planning an al-Qaeda bombing in Cleveland, makes his first court appearance.