Two men have been charged in the Albany , New York , area in a bizarre plan to use a device loosely described as a ray gun to `` target people they did n't like , '' a federal law enforcement source with knowledge of the investigation said Wednesday . Glendon Scott Crawford , 49 , and Eric J. Feight , 54 , were arrested Tuesday after an undercover operation by the Albany FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force . They were charged with conspiracy to provide material support to terrorists . The suspects intended to use the device to harm and kill enemies of Israel , a Department of Justice news release said . If convicted , each faces up to 15 years in prison , a $ 250,000 fine and five years of supervised release . The suspects , expected to appear in federal court Wednesday , apparently planned to use the homemade X-ray machine to attack high-ranking government officials and other targets with radiation , the source said . They do not appear to belong to any terror group or subscribe to any particular ideology , the source said . The public was never in any danger , the source said . The device created by the defendants was deemed inoperable and not a threat to the public . Beginning in April 2012 , authorities received information that Crawford was searching for people at local Jewish organizations to help him build a device capable of killing human targets silently from a distance , according to a criminal complaint . `` This investigation revealed unthinkable plotting and planning of terrorist activity that targeted unsuspecting innocent citizens , '' New York State Police Superintendent Joseph A . D'Amico said in a news release . `` We remain committed to ensuring the safety of all citizens and will work diligently to identify these types of threats and stop those who seek to cause harm . ''
Pair arrested Tuesday after an undercover operation ; they 're expected in court Wednesday . A device the suspects created was deemed inoperable and not a threat to the public . They aimed to use the device on enemies of Israel , a Department of Justice news release says .