Florida man accused of planning attack at pro-Israel organization in Plantation

After officials claimed he had planned an attack at a pro-Israel group in Plantation, a guy from Florida was arrested after being discovered in possession of an AR-15 and other weapons.

Following an FBI investigation, 26-year-old Forrest Kendall Pemberton was detained last week on a stalking charge, said a federal criminal complaint. According to the complaint, Pemberton traveled to Plantation from his Gainesville residence with the intention of targeting a pro-Israel group.

The group is thought to be the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, or AIPAC, which has a location on N. Pine Island Road in Plantation, despite not being mentioned in the complaint. The complaint claims that on December 23, Pemberton’s father called the police to report him missing.

According to the lawsuit, Pemberton’s family discovered a letter allegedly written by him with “anti-authority sentiments” in which he expressed his desire to “close the loop,” “stoke the flames,” and bid his family farewell.

The family reported that an Ar-15 rifle, a 9mm handgun, a Galil rifle, and a laptop were missing from his room and thought to be in his hands. He looked up the IRS Taxpayer Assistance Center, the IRS Appeals and Chief Counsel Office, and an address on South Pine Island Road in Plantation next to the IRS Appeals and Chief Counsel Office on his computer, according to the complaint.

According to the lawsuit, he also looked for a group in Plantation that advocates for “pro-Israel policies that strengthen and expand the U.S.-Israel relationship.”

According to the complaint, a family member gave the FBI a snapshot of Pemberton making four ATM withdrawals at various locations along University Drive in Plantation on the same day, Dec. 23. Investigators found that Pemberton had arrived at a Plantation motel on December 22 and left the following day.

Records indicated that Pemberton was at another Tallahassee motel on December 24. According to the lawsuit, he was observed boarding a ridesharing vehicle on December 25 while carrying what seemed to be a soft rifle case.

According to the complaint, Pemberton turned over the AR-15, the Galil rifle, the pistol, and ammunition when police pulled over the car.

According to the complaint, Pemberton turned over the AR-15, the Galil rifle, the pistol, and ammunition when police pulled over the car.

Investigators interrogated Pemberton, who claimed to have walked from Gainesville to Ocala and purchased a pickup truck there. According to the complaint, he drove to what turned out to be the organization’s previous site in Plantation in order to “scout” the area and planned to return with the guns hidden.

The complaint stated that Pemberton was motivated by unhappiness with the “status quo” and “see[ing] if I could make a change,” and that he picked the organization because of its “political influence” and location. Pemberton informed investigators that he changed his mind in the end.