Man arrested in mosque bomb plot

DEARBORN, Mich., Jan. 31 (UPI) -- A man who police said has a history of mental problems was charged with trying to blow up the Islamic Center of America in Dearborn, Mich., police said.

Roger Stockham, 63, of Imperial Beach, Calif., was arrested Jan. 24 with a car full of fireworks in the mosque's parking lot, the Dearborn Press and Guide reported Monday.

Police said they received a tip about Stockham that led to his arrest.

Hundreds of people were inside the mosque attending a funeral when police captured Stockham, an ex-convict and Army veteran.

Stockham was arraigned in a state court Wednesday on threat of terrorism or false report and possession of explosives charges, the newspaper said. Bail was set at $500,000.

A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Friday.

Although the incident at the mosque happened last week, it wasn't made public until the weekend when the Council on American-Islamic Relations-Michigan issued a press statement.

"We thank law enforcement authorities for their quick and professional actions in this troubling incident," Dawud Walid, executive director of organization's Michigan chapter, said in the release. "The increased number of bias incidents targeting American Muslim institutions must be addressed by local, state and national authorities."

Published reports indicate Stockham underwent a psychiatric evaluation after being implicated in a 1985 bomb plot at Reno Cannon International Airport, and was arrested at least twice in the early 2000s.