Arrest
Anderson was arrested February 12, 2004 after a joint investigation by the United States Army, United States Justice Department, and FBI. They monitored his online activities, such as logging onto extremist Internet chat rooms, trying to get in touch with al-Qaeda operatives, and offering the organization information on United States military capabilities and weaponry. Shortly before his arrest, Anderson was recorded on video surveillance providing tactical information on methods of killing U.S. troops and destroying tanks to undercover agents posing as al-Qaeda operatives. They tapped his and his wife's cell phones, pulled text messages, and followed both him and his wife in their daily lives.
Shannen Rossmiller, a former municipal judge in Conrad, Montana and amateur Cyber spy, is credited with first encountering Anderson in an online Islamist chat room. In posts, Anderson offered assistance in gathering information and in killing U.S. soldiers. After ascertaining that Anderson was in the U.S. military, Rossmiller contacted the FBI who set up the sting operation with the Department of Justice and the military.
Read more about this topic: Ryan G. Anderson
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