On June 22, the FBI agent met with Pitts in Walton Hills and surreptitiously recorded the conversation (excerpted in the affidavit). The FBI agent starts with a pitch that fits an effort at entrapment:
"And so that's part of, part of the question. Part of the in and out is understanding what al Qaeda is about and then wanting to know are you willing to, I mean any brother that's gonna be in al Qaeda has to be willing to do all the things that we've already talked about... That's why I mean, I mean, I mean I'm excited I went back but of course the brothers, they wanna build trust by steps. And they're willing to send a brother out to meet you but we gotta make, we gotta get to that level too. The other thing too is I mean there is, there is risk with all this and that's why we gotta, we gotta start somewhere. I mean I think we are there but I gotta go back and convince... I mean I think that can happen pretty soon. But -- but this is, but I think this is what this is a big thing that was asked of me cause I told him I told him about hey the value in the knife fighting. The possibility of like what we talked about last time. Finding places where we could get in and set up a bomb. I mean if they provide the bomb maker and we find the path in. Then man, dude we can do, I mean you wanna talk about if doing something like that, that from, from, from within, that will shake them more than 9/11 . 9/11 mashallah was amazing."
Pitts doesn't buy into any this. He volunteers that he has been thinking about the 4th of July, but nothing specific. Pitts says: "I'm trying to figure out something that would shake them up on the 4th of July... See I -- I that's why I like chess." Pitts mentions "a bomb to blow up at the 4th of July parade," then rejects it because of too many surveillance cameras in the city. The FBI agent abets the "planning" by googling a map of downtown Cleveland. Later the same day, the FBI agent promises to provide Pitts with a bus pass and a cell phone.
On June 25, a second FBI agent posing as "a trusted 'brother'" met with Pitts in Maple Heights, delivering the bus pass and cell phone.
On June 26, Pitts texted the first FBI agent that he had scouted out downtown Cleveland, as discussed. Pitts said he planned to go to Philadelphia (his hometown) for further surveillance. The FBI agent talked to Pitts on the phone and asked if Pitts was going through with the July 4th plan that other "brothers" were building devices for. The conversation was inconclusive.
On June 27, Pitts met with the second agent posing as a "brother" and turned in his cell phone. The second agent gave Pitts a black flag as a terrorist symbol. Later the same day, Pitts met with the first FBI agent for two and a half hours to discuss "the impending July 4th bombing" (according to the FBI affidavit). Pitts says he's going to spend the day July 3 casing the surroundings, "We're just takin' pictures, takin' video." Pitts says he wants to see the explosion on the 4th and the FBI agent says:
"You wanna see it -- you wanna see that fireball go flying -- you wanna see the body parts flying into the sky?... Alright. Well you know what? Like where we were standing when you can overlook the whole lake, off by that -- on top of that parking garage, you can get a pretty good view from way up there."
At this point in the affidavit, neither party has specified just what kind of bomb might be used and they've discussed a number of possibilities. They have no specific target. The FBI agent seems confused: "Oh, so you're talking like uh -- like uh full car bomb in the whole van." Pitts, who has no way of knowing about and no connection with any bomb, agrees. The FBI agent says: "Alright. I mean this is a -- we're going from a remote control car bomb to a full size van." Pitts seems to agree but talks about the remote control toy cars with bombs. This seems to fluster the FBI agent, the conversation wanders, "this is gonna take an adjustment and my plan was for the -- well what we kinda -- they gonna bring in the bomb guy for us..." They seem to reassure each other that they're going through with the plan even though they haven't settled on the plan. Pitts isn't planning to be involved with the bombing directly:
"My part is just to go scope, get the information we need, and bring it back... See you gotta have Brothers who don't nobody never see. Like I don't wanna meet all the Brothers. No."
The FBI agent agrees to this. Later in the day, Pitts texted the FBI agent that the plan was impossible, too much security. Pitts talks about pushing on, maybe in Philadelphia:
"Ahki (brother) I want to do this by myself. I have no reason to live. Since I know Philly very well. All I need from the brother. Is some chicken eggs that go [emojis inserted that appear to be explosions]. I will put my life on the line. This will be done in September labor day. Just help me get there. So ahki you must show me. How to drive again. Now can you do that. You don't need to be in this. Ahki you have a family. So keep your hands clean ahki."
On June 28, on the direction of the first FBI agent, Pitts carried out instructions relating to the imaginary bombing, including searching for a vehicle. Pitts said a purchase would be difficult because he'd have to provide a driver's license. The FBI agent suggested a strawman purchase. Pitts found several possible vehicles, but bought none.
June 30, the FBI agent "told Pitts that the attack Pitts planned in Cleveland for July 4th was a "go" and that the al Qaeda brothers were happy with Pitts' plan for Cleveland" (according to the FBI affidavit), even though there was still no clear record of any specific plan. The FBI agent egged Pitts on with false promises of a "large explosion ... on behalf of al Qaeda."
On July 1, the FBI agent met with Pitts in Garfield Heights to learn what plan Pitts had for Philadelphia. Pitts explained he was still planning an attack that he wanted to be bloody. The FBI showed Pitts a "remote control car ... [that] contained C-4 explosives and BB's" rigged by the FBI, a toy that could roll under a police vehicle. Pitts freely speculated on uses for remote control cars as well as a larger bomb that he assumed existed. The meeting ended with his arrest.
On July 2, the Justice Department issued its deceitful press release, claiming to have protected the country from a fearsome terrorist attack, even though the FBI knew that attack was never even close to taking place, and even though the FBI knew Pitts had zero capability of carrying it out on his own. The FBI makes no claim to the contrary, but merely asserts the sort-of-true claim that Pitts "did knowingly attempt to provide material support or resources to a foreign terrorist organization." The FBI does not acknowledge that the "foreign terrorist organization" was an FBI fiction and that Pitts's attempt was based on a delusion.
The FBI filings make very clear that no terrorism and no threat of terrorism existed before the FBI decided to pump one up, using a troubled, angry, isolated black man as its pawn to inflate its own institutional ego with fake news. And the news media bought the fake news as presented, uncritically parroting the FBI spin that they stopped an attempted terror attack.
CNN: "Man accused of plotting terror attack on July 4th parade in Cleveland"
New York Times: "Man Arrested in Cleveland Terror Plot After F.B.I. Sting"
ABC News: "Man accused of planning terrorist attack in Cleveland had San Francisco travel plans"
USA Today: "FBI: Man who planned attack on Cleveland wanted to give explosive-filled cars to military children"
And so it went across the news media, with a presumption of guilt fostered by FBI lies taken at face value. FBI agent Stephen Anthony set the tone for media coverage:
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