OCALA, Fla. -- A Florida man accused of plotting to bomb Target stores along the east coast to tank the company's stock last year has been convicted by a federal jury.
- Mark Charles Barnett of Ocala, Fla. convicted by federal jury
- He was accused of plotting to bomb Target stores along east coast
- Investigators say he planned to tank stock price to buy it on the cheap
- PREVIOUSLY:
Mark Charles Barnett, 50, of Ocala was found guilty of attempted arson, possession of an unregistered National Firearms Act destructive device and making an NFA destructive device.
According to trial testimony, Barnett offered to pay a source $10,000 to place explosive devices inside Targets along the east coast from New York to Florida. He bought the materials to build the bombs and assembled at least 10 of them, prosecutors said.
Barnett wanted to bomb the stores to plunge the company's stock value so he could buy Target shares on the cheap before the stock went up again, prosecutors said.
Barnett allegedly told the source, "If someone has to die so I can make some money, so be it," the Justice Department said in a news release.
The person he paid was a confidential source, who immediately went to the authorities with the bombs. Barnett was arrested Feb. 14, 2017.
Barnett, a convicted sex offender, faces a maximum 20 years in federal prison for the attempted arson count and up to 10 years in federal prison on the destructive device convictions.
He's scheduled to be sentenced Oct. 17.