East Tennessee man pleads guilty to Muslim assault plot
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) – A former congressional candidate in East Tennessee has pleaded guilty to plotting an assault on a small Muslim enclave in New York.
According to the plea agreement entered last month, federal agents began investigating Robert Doggart of Signal Mountain following a Facebook posting in which he alleged a community outside of Hancock, New York, was planning a terrorist attack and “must be utterly destroyed.”
This area is known as “Islamberg,” a self-named community consisting primarily of individuals of the Islamic faith.
Doggart also said in cell phone communications that his plan involved killing residents and burning at least three buildings.
He faces up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
Doggart ran as an independent in last year’s District 4 congressional race and was heavily defeated.
