TOLEDO, Ohio — A man accused of plotting a mass shooting at an Ohio synagogue in the weeks following a deadly attack at a Pittsburgh synagogue has been indicted on a federal hate crime charge.

While the plan was never carried out and investigators said there wasn’t an immediate threat to the public, the Department of Justice said the suspect spent months talking and planning for a violent attack.

Investigators say Damon Joseph, 21, of the Toledo suburb of Holland, said he wanted to kill as many people as possible, including a rabbi, and make sure no one escaped.

A federal grand jury on Tuesday indicted Joseph on charges that include attempting to provide material support to the Islamic State group and attempting to commit a hate crime.

Joseph was arrested in early December after he received two AR-15 rifles from an undercover agent.

He had been under investigation for months and talked about his plans with an undercover FBI agent, according to the Justice Department.

Joseph posted photos of weapons, praised the Islamic State, and settled on targeting a synagogue in the Toledo area, said Justin Herdman, the US attorney for northern Ohio.

associated press