A man accused of bomb plot during mid-term elections in the United States

A man who planned to blow himself up in Washington DC on the day of mid-term elections next month was held and charged, US attorneys said.

They say Paul Rosenfeld, 56, built a 200-lb (91-kg) explosive device and wanted to blow it up in the capital's National Mall on November 6.

They say that he wanted to draw attention to his belief in "tri-timing" – a political theory that advocates random selection of government officials.

He could be imprisoned for 20 years.

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Threat of "incalculable destruction"

Mr. Rosenfeld – who waived his right to remain silent – was charged Wednesday with two counts of manufacturing and transporting explosives, prosecutors said.

"If it had been successful, Rosenfeld's alleged conspiracy could have resulted in innocent victims and cause untold destruction," said William Sweeney, deputy director of the FBI (Federal Investigation Bureau) in New York. York.

"Fortunately, his plans were thwarted by the quick action of a concerned citizen and by the diligent work of a multitude of our law enforcement partners and the group of the FBI's joint work on terrorism, "he added.

Law enforcement officials said that the huge explosive device was found at the suspect's home in Tappan, New York, on October 9.

This happened after one person received letters and SMS from the suspect about the plot and alerted the authorities.

Mr. Rosenfeld later admitted that he had ordered large quantities of black powder, an explosive substance, over the Internet and that he had conducted detonation tests, prosecutors said.