N.C. man charged with Islamic State support

A 35-year-old North Carolina man, who allegedly expressed interest in conducting attacks in the United States on behalf of the Islamic State, was arrested Thursday after attempting to purchase an assault rifle and ammunition from an undercover investigator.

Federal prosecutors allege that Erick Jamal Hendricks had pledged allegiance to the Islamic State, also known as ISIS or ISIL, in statements posted on social media and told a government informant that he wanted to gather "brothers'' from Texas and Mexico to train as a sleeper cell to launch attacks in the U.S.

Hendricks, according to court documents, allegedly had been in contact with one of the two men who last year were killed during an ISIL-inspired assault on an exhibit featuring cartoon depictions of the prophet Muhammad in Garland, Texas.

Prosecutors allege that Hendricks made contact with Elton Simpson through social media shortly before the May attack and unwittingly connected an undercover FBI investigator with Simpson, who was later shot to death by Garland police, along with Nadir Hamid Soofi, when the two opened fire on the gathering.

Hendricks had allegedly expressed his commitment to "martyr'' himself in the course of carrying out future attacks, telling the government informant of his desire to enter "jannah'' or paradise.