CHARLOTTE, N.C. — A Charlotte-based terrorism expert Ross Bulla said that a man arrested Thursday for trying to recruit for ISIS did not do a good job of covering his tracks online, and that there are probably others like him yet to be arrested.
Erick Hendricks was hiding in plain sight while living quietly in Charlotte’s Hidden Valley neighborhood and posting nothing on Facebook that would suggest he was connected with ISIS.
One post is a smiling picture of President Barack Obama and Michelle Obama, but the FBI said Hendricks used several different social media platforms to recruit for ISIS and encourage recruits to fight jihad.
They said Hendricks instructed others not to use Islamic names or terms on social media without splitting them like he did.
"Brother don't use isla micterms without splitting them," Hendricks posted.
Hendricks’ approach was pretty basic, Bulla said.
“The methodology that he was using is certainly nothing new and novel,” Bulla said. “It was nothing that I saw that was sophisticated at all.”
Bulla said it is probably one of many terrorism investigations the FBI has routinely done since 2001.
He said North Carolina is among the top five states for terrorism investigations, and expects more like this case to follow.
"I suspect that you'll hear others within the Charlotte region who were co-conspirators with him," Bulla said. "I wouldn't be surprised to see that shortly."
Cox Media Group
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