Russian Teen Charged With WMD in Pennsylvania -- Bomb Components Released: Six Questions

There is additional information today about what came together to be classified a Weapon of Mass Destruction (WMD) in yesterday's bust of Penn State student, 19-year-old Vladislav Miftakhov, an engineering major. A young man in the same apartment building said Miftakhov was "the weirdest individual I have ever known," and that the teen had recently set off "small homemade bombs outside the apartment, leaving small craters in the ground...."  So much for 'see something, say something.' According to the article linked below, Miftakhov told police he had "experimented with other homemade explosives in California." The Facebook profile pic below is confirmed by Pennsylvania's KRON4 News to be the same Miftakhov, as I suspected in my original post yesterday.

Vladislav Miftakhov

According to a criminal complaint, police found one pound of atomized magnesium and one pound of Chinese potassium perchlorate along with a package labeled potassium nitrate powder. They also found fuses and several containers of compressed air.

When asked what he was going to do with two devices that were found with exposed fuses, Miftakhov said "he was going to blow things up," the complaint alleges.

Miftakhov later said he only intended to set devices off in a field and wasn't going to blow anything up, the document says.

He told police that he had previously experimented with other homemade explosives in California.

Authorities found five marijuana seedlings and a grow light, the complaint says....Source: CNN

The Altoona Mirror has more detail:

In the suitcase, police found a small aluminum container with an exposed fuse, a smaller plastic container with an exposed fuse, containers of compressed air, a can of static-guard spray, a package labeled potassium nitrate powder, a pound of atomized magnesium mesh, a pound of potassium perchorate, magnesium cord and loose fuses, according to the affidavit....

He said he bought the materials to make the devices through Amazon within the previous three weeks and put them together in his room, according to the affidavit.

The young man talking about "the weirdest individual" he had ever known, also said Miftakhov would come to his apartment and take food out of the refrigerator without asking. It reminds me of the common thread of arrogance among others who are a danger to the U.S., like Boston bombers, Dzhokar and Tamerlan Tsarnaev.

Six questions:

1) Is Miftakhov here legally or illegally? He went to high school in San Carlos, California. 2) Did he over-stay a visa? He is reportedly a Russian national. 3) Where are his parents. 4) Does he have siblings. 5) Are U.S. taxpayers giving him any assistance for living or for school? 6) Miftkahov bought the chemicals on Amazon. What does the NSA have on him? I'm betting nothing.

Andrew Leff talks about Vladislav Miftakhov - the "weirdest individual" he has ever known (video)
Posted by Maggie @ Maggie'sNotebook