Oklahoma Man Arrested In Vehicle Bomb Detonation Plot Stalled By Undercover Agent: DOJ

OKLAHOMA CITY, OK — A 23-year-old man was arrested early Saturday in connection with a plot to allegedly detonate what he believed was a vehicle bomb at a bank in downtown Oklahoma City, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Western District of Oklahoma alleged Monday.

According to a criminal complaint filed Sunday, the FBI arrested Jerry Drake Varnell, 23, of Sayre, Oklahoma around 1 a.m. on Saturday after the agency says he attempted to detonated "what he believed to be an explosive-laden van he had parked in an alley next to BancFirst." (For more on this story and other local news, subscribe to the Oklahoma City Patch.)

The DOJ said the arrest was the culmination of a long-term domestic terrorism investigation involving an undercover operation. Varnell was monitored closely for months and the device was actually inert and the public was never in danger, the DOJ said.

FBI Arrests Man Plotting To Bomb Oklahoma Bank

The complaint alleged that Varnell initially wanted to blow up the Federal Reserve Building in Washington D.C. with a device similar to the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing because he was upset with the government, the DOJ said.

When law enforcement learned of Varnell's actions, an undercover FBI agent posed as a person who could assist him, the DOJ said.

"Varnell took a series of actions to advance his plot," the DOJ said, citing allegations made in a criminal complaint. "He identified BancFirst as the target, prepared a statement to be posted on social media after the explosion, helped assemble the device, helped load it into what he believed was a stolen van, drove the van by himself from El Reno to BancFirst in downtown Oklahoma City, and dialed a number on a cellular telephone that he believed would trigger the explosion."

U.S. Sen. James Lankford (R-OK) commended the work of the FBI and local law enforcement for investigating and apprehending the man.

“I applaud the work of the FBI and local law enforcement for investigating and apprehending a man who sought to commit a terrorist act in Oklahoma City," Lankford said in a statement. "Our intelligence community and law enforcement work every day to protect our neighborhoods from attacks and terror, and they often do it without the public ever knowing. It is chilling to think that a sympathizer of Timothy McVeigh would want to act on hate, as a tribute to the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing, the deadliest terrorist attack on American soil before September 11. We’re thankful for the concerned citizens that stepped forward to alert authorities about this man. This is another somber reminder that, as a nation, we must remain vigilant about home-grown extremism and radicalization in our communities.”

Varnell is charged with attempting to use explosives to destroy a building in interstate commerce. If convicted, Varnell would face a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and a mandatory minimum sentence of five years' imprisonment. His first appearance in court is expected to be Monday afternoon.

Photo credit: Oklahoma Department of Corrections via AP