A New York man has been arrested on suspicion of plotting a New Year's terror attack.
The 25-year-old is charged with attempting to provide material support to an Islamic State (IS) member in Syria, according to Sky News.
Prosecutors say Emanuel Lutchman, an American Muslim and ex-convict, was receiving direction from an IS member for a restaurant machete attack in Rochester, New York.
Lutchman allegedly toyed with the idea of using a pressure-cooker bomb with a paid FBI informant after scouting out a restaurant as a target. He also proposed to kidnap and kill "a couple of people", Sky News reports.
"He planned to kill innocent civilians on New Year's Eve in the name of the terrorist organisation," said assistant attorney General John Carlin.
"Thankfully, law enforcement was able to intervene and thwart Lutchman's deadly plans."
Around 6000 officers were out around New York City's Times Square, deemed the "safest place" to be on New Years' Eve.
The FBI have said Lutchman vocalised hate for America and talked of joining the IS, Sky News reports.
Lutchman has a robbery conviction, and a criminal history dating back to 2006.
On Tuesday he went with an FBI informant to a Rochester Walmart store where they bought balaclavas, two knives, a machete, duct tape, ammonia and latex gloves.
He was arrested on Wednesday (local time) after he recorded a video on his phone pledging allegiance to the IS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.
3 News
