PITTSBURGH, Pennsylvania โ A 21-year-old Pennsylvania man accused of preparing for an ISIS-inspired terrorist attack discussed poisoning food or drinks at synagogues with ricin or cyanide, according to a federal criminal complaint that describes a months-long series of alleged attack plans.
Jonathan Hunter Kramer, of Valencia, Pennsylvania, was charged by federal criminal complaint with receiving a firearm and ammunition knowing or having reasonable cause to believe they would be used to commit a felony or federal crime of terrorism.
Federal authorities announced the charge September 15.
The FBI arrested Kramer after agents allegedly found a semiautomatic rifle, five rifle magazines and approximately 190 rounds of ammunition during searches of his hotel room, residence and belongings. Two of the magazines were loaded, while the other three could hold 30 rounds each.
The federal complaint alleges Kramer had pledged allegiance to ISIS, distributed or offered to distribute extremist material online, and discussed several methods of attacking people he regarded as non-believers.
Among the most disturbing allegations were discussions specifically involving synagogues.
In an online exchange cited by investigators, Kramer allegedly wrote in May that he was trying to determine how to synthesize poisons or a deadly chemical.
He then allegedly discussed injecting ricin or cyanide into food or water at grocery stores or food events, identifying synagogues as a preferred location for poisoning food and drinks.
The allegations have not been proven in court.
Federal authorities have not identified a synagogue that Kramer had selected as a target, and publicly released information does not establish that he had obtained ricin, cyanide or another poison.
Multiple Alleged Attack Scenarios
The alleged synagogue poisoning scenario was one of several methods Kramer discussed online, according to investigators.
The criminal complaint describes conversations involving arson, vehicle attacks, explosive-laden drones, shootings, and poisoning. Authorities allege Kramer repeatedly expressed an interest in carrying out violence while communicating with others online.
Investigators linked Kramer to an account named “Hamza Al Rashid” on the encrypted messaging platform SimpleX.
According to the complaint, that account claimed an affiliation with ISIS, offered to share explosives manuals and discussed preparations for what Kramer allegedly called a “mission.”
In one message cited in reporting on the complaint, Kramer allegedly wrote that he might soon be able to conduct an operation and asked others to pray for its success.
Federal authorities allege Kramer also circulated ISIS propaganda and material associated with Hamas.
The investigation intensified after authorities received information about Kramer’s activities following his release from juvenile detention in March 2026.
The Justice Department says Kramer first came to the FBI’s attention in 2023, when he was a minor. Authorities said he was adjudicated delinquent in Pennsylvania for his role in a plot to carry out a mass-casualty incident and for possessing child sexual abuse material.
Investigators also discovered a recording during the earlier investigation in which Kramer allegedly pledged allegiance to Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the former ISIS leader killed in 2019.
FBI Tracks Acquisition Of Rifle
The investigation culminated in September as agents monitored Kramer’s movements.
According to federal authorities, Kramer left his residence and purchased a disposable cellphone before meeting another person and taking possession of a long black bag from a vehicle.
He then traveled to a hotel in Cranberry Township, north of Pittsburgh, where he paid cash for a room.
Witnesses at a store and the hotel told investigators they heard metallic sounds coming from his bag.
Kramer later traveled to a sporting goods store, where FBI agents observed him at the gun counter. Agents approached him after he returned to the hotel carrying two bags containing items purchased at the store.
Agents subsequently executed search warrants on Kramer, his hotel room, and his residence.
Agents seized a semiautomatic rifle, five magazines, approximately 190 rounds of rifle ammunition, a rifle scope and bipod, pepper spray, an entrenchment tool and approximately 30 knives, according to the Justice Department.
Assistant Attorney General for National Security John Eisenberg said authorities believed Kramer was approaching the point of carrying out violence.
“Kramer was taken into custody just as he appeared to be preparing for a mass shooting that could have taken many lives,” Eisenberg said.
The government’s characterization remains an allegation and must be established through the judicial process.
No Specific Synagogue Identified
The references to synagogues are significant because they demonstrate that Jewish religious institutions were among the potential targets Kramer allegedly discussed.
They do not, however, establish that a specific synagogue attack was imminent.
The Justice Department has not publicly identified a particular synagogue, Jewish event, or congregation that investigators believe Kramer had selected.
Similarly, the poisoning discussions described in the complaint do not establish that Kramer had acquired ricin or cyanide or had taken operational steps to contaminate food at a Jewish institution.
The firearm and ammunition acquisition represents the most concrete alleged movement toward an attack described by federal authorities.
Kramer made his initial federal court appearance September 14. Prosecutors requested that he be detained without bond, arguing that he represents a danger to the community.
The FBI’s Pittsburgh Division investigated the case with assistance from state and local agencies.
Kramer is charged by criminal complaint. As the Justice Department emphasized in announcing the case, a criminal complaint is an accusation, and he is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
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