Man Planned Terrorist Attack In Cleveland, Sentenced: DOJ

CLEVELAND — Demetriaus Nathaniel Pitts, who pleaded guilty to planning a terrorist attack in Cleveland, was sentenced to 14 years in prison this week, the Department of Justice announced. He was also sentenced for making threats against the president and relatives of the president.

Pitts' prison sentences will be served concurrently. The 50-year-old Maple Heights resident pledged his allegiance to Al-Qaeda, according to the Department of Justice.

“This defendant plotted an attack on families and children in downtown Cleveland on July 4th, a day of utmost importance to all Americans, and he further attempted to undermine our democracy by making threats against the President and his family,” U.S. Attorney Justin Herdman said. “For this conduct, the defendant is deserving of every day of this 14 year sentence."

Pitts' Plan

Between 2015 and 2017, Pitts expressed anti-American sentiment on social media and a desire to recruit people to kill Americans, according to an affidavit filed in the case. He said he wanted to meet someone working with al Qaeda. In June 2018, he was introduced to an undercover FBI agent acting as a member of al Qaeda. The two met in Walton Hills and discussed launching an attack on July 4.

According to the Department of Justice, during that meeting, Pitts said: "I'm trying to figure out something that would shake them up on the 4th of July." He later added, "What would hit them at their core? Blow up in the, have a bomb blow up in the 4th of July parade."

Pitts sought out a map of downtown Cleveland and learned fireworks would be launched from Voinovich Park. This became his target, according to the affidavit. He then told the undercover agent he would go downtown to survey the area.

On June 26, Pitts told the undercover agent, via text message, he had learned the layout of the July 4th celebration and he now wanted to "destroy the government." He said he also planned to travel to Philadelphia to scout for a possible attack there, the affidavit said.

On June 27, Pitts gave photos and videos of his surveillance to an FBI source, then met the undercover agent and drove to downtown Cleveland, the affidavit said. During the trip, Pitts said, "And I'm gonna be downtown when the – when the thing go off. I'm gonna be somewhere cuz I wanna see it go off."

The FBI searched Pitts' phone and found videos of him pledging allegiance to al Qaeda and videos of him pointing out potential targets for an attack, including a federal building, the Coast Guard station and St. John's Cathedral. In the videos, the affidavit said, he noted that each target could be "taken off the map."

On July 1, Pitts met again with the undercover agent and said he wanted to go to Philadelphia to plot an attack there. He said a truck bomb packed with explosives, like the one used in the Oklahoma City attack, would cause maximum damage, the affidavit said.

The undercover agent said people would die in such an attack and body parts would begin flying around. According to the affidavit, Pitts responded, "I don't care." Pitts was then taken into custody on July 1.

The FBI-Cleveland Division's Joint Terrorism Task investigated Pitts.

“Pitts, a U.S. citizen living in Ohio, pledged his allegiance to al-Qaeda, a foreign terrorist organization, and will now serve a lengthy sentence behind bars,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Eric B. Smith. “The FBI and the Joint Terrorism Task Force will continue to use every available resource to disrupt those who seek to bring harm to our fellow citizens.”