Muslim Convert Nicholas Rovinski Arrested in Plot to Behead Pamela Geller

Nicholas Rovinski used to be an agnostic. Then he converted to Islam. Now he's in jail for being part of a plot to behead Pamela Geller. He was even in contact with Alan Simpson, one of the jihadists killed in Texas while attempting to storm Geller's art exhibit.

As a Muslim, Rovinski enjoyed playing the guitar, studying outdoor survival, and watching The Deen Show. Any idea how a devout young Muslim convert could ever conclude that his religion commands him to kill critics of Islam? (Hint: Muhammad ordered his followers to kill critics of Islam.)

Muslim Convert Nicholas Rovinski

CNN—Authorities have arrested Nicholas Rovinski of Warwick, Rhode Island, in the Usaamah Rahim terror case, said Boston FBI spokeswoman Kristen Setera. He is the third suspect in the case, sources told have told CNN.

Nicholas Rovinski was arrested at 8:16 p.m. without incident. His home had been previously searched, and he had been questioned by authorities.

Rahim was shot dead by Boston police and FBI agents on Tuesday last week, in a confrontation over an alleged Islamist plot to attack police with knives.

Rovinski was a friend of Rahim and of David Wright, who has been arrested and charged with obstruction.

Law enforcement believed Rahim, who officials think was radicalized by ISIS and initially planned to behead a conservative blogger, was planning to launch his attack the day he died or the following day. He had switched targets to police officers, because they were more accessible, the FBI had said. . . .

In March, Rovinski had shared his Islamist extremist beliefs and motivation to act on them with CNN.

A producer exchanged messages with Rovinski, and during the conversation, the Rhode Island resident described exchanges with an alleged ISIS fighter who urged him to come to Iraq and Syria and join the terrorist group.

The communications were part of research into Americans identifying with jihadists online. Rovinski told CNN he considered following the fighter's call.

On his Twitter account, the Rhode Island resident spoke out against the United States: "Living amung (sic) the enemy."

"Who wishes to see flag of tawheed upon white house," he wrote on March 28. Tawheed, a fundamental principle and saying of Islam, is also a favorite inscription on jihadi flags -- namely ISIS and al Qaeda.

In an online conversation, he said, "I am not violent at heart but push the wrong button and its (sic) not pretty."

On his Twitter account were messages directed at people connected with ISIS, including Mujahid Miski, the online alias of Mohamed Abdullahi Hasan, a former Minnesotan believed to be fighting with Al Shabaab in Somalia.

Miski had also been in direct contact with Alan Simpson, one of the two shooters in the Texas attack on Geller's "Draw Your Own Mohammed" event in May.

Rovinski told CNN in the online exchanges that he would attend services at a mosque near his home but said he never shared his fundamentalist interpretation of Islam with his imam. Prior to his conversion to Islam, he said he was agnostic, but sought "truth and guidance" and found Islam. (Continue Reading.)

To understand why Nicholas Rovinski decided to wage jihad, watch this: