A Florida man could face up to ten years in prison for an alleged plot to plant several bombs in Target stores throughout the East Coast.

According to Syracuse.com, Mark C. Barnett of Ocala, Florida came up with the plan as a way to ruin Target's stock price so he could then buy up shares at a substantially lower price.

That way, when the stock price rose back up he could cash in.

Instead, the man he offered to pay to do the job turned him in to Federal authorities.

Barnett allegedly offered the man, whose name is not available, $10,000 to deliver 10 packages to Target stores from Syracuse to Florida.

The packages contained small bombs hidden under boxes of stuffing mix, breakfast bars and boxes of pasta.

On Feb 9, Barnett gave the packages to his accomplice along with gloves, a mask and a license plate cover with a warning not to let the packages "bounce around or they would explode."

When the man asked Barnett if the bombs would kill someone, Barnett told him, "No, they'll just take your hand off."

It wasn't clear which Target store in Syracuse was chosen, but the man whom Barnett hired turned out to be a convicted felon and a confidential FBI informant.

Barnett is a registered sex offender on probation for numerous felony
offenses including kidnapping, multiple counts of sexual battery with a weapon or force, and grand theft, according to Syracuse.com. Barnett was required to wear a GPS ankle band, the complaint said.

He is currently being held in the Marion County Jail in Florida on state charges of violating probation.


 

 

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