Where do they get these people? Meet Michael Finton, or as he’s been known for the past 3 years, Talib Islam. Yes, the guy above who lists his occupation as a restaurant manager and his marital status as engaged (sorry babe, I’ll be spending the next 150 years flipping burgers at a maximum level federal correctional institution) was nabbed in an FBI sting yesterday after he thought he was detonating a car bomb near the Paul Findley Federal Building and Courthouse in Springfield, Illinois. The FBI says, “Finton drove a van containing what he understood to be explosive material and parked it directly in front of the northwest corner of the federal building. Finton got out of the van, locked the door and got into another vehicle driven by the undercover FBI officer and drove away. Within a few blocks of the federal building, Finton made a cell phone call to remotely detonate the purported bomb in the van. FBI agents arrested Finton immediately after he attempted to detonate the device.”

Back in December, he wrote to his Congressman complaining about the agencies (Joint Terrorism Task Force and the FBI) that would end up arresting him 10 months later.

Congressman (Phil) Hare, thank you for taking the time to read this. I know that you are a very busy man so I will try and keep it brief.
My name is Michael Curtiss Finton. I live here in Decatur. I have  a very serious issue that I must speak to someone about. I don't know what else to do other than this.
I am a convert to Islam of about 3 years. I love my religion just like I love my country. The two do not conflict. However, there are some who disagree. I have had my rights completely and utter violated on numerous occasions over the last 3 years almost, and I feel both outraged and helpless. I have had my books and paperwork taken by members of the JTTF, FBI without a warrent. I was on parole at the time and they admitted to me that my parole had been violated by them-not IDOC-as an excuse to take my things; as they could get no warrent. I had been on parole for over a year with no incidents. I kept a job and passed my drug tests. My parole officer in Decatur told me that I had done nothing wrong and that it was not my fault that I had been violated. The FBI agents lied to me about their names over the phone. They wouldn't tell me their last names. They got physical with me, interrogated me regarding my views on various subjects in religion and the political situation, and tried to get me into a room in the back.
I have had my home raided by Decatur police on an obviously bogus warrant. Thrown on my porch in my underwear with a battering ram and assault rifles. They went through my house (and were supposed to be searching for a stolen microwave that no one had reported stolen and no one had been charged with stealing.) and recovered the microwave right away yet continued to search. Even taking a digital camera into my office where my computer and books are. When contacted the police said they had no record of anyone visiting my house that day.
I have been pulled from my car, where a digital camera was produced by p.d. and my picture was taken and my tatoos recorded. At a gas station at approx. 1 p.m.
Homeland Security came to my job twice while I was incarcerated asking questions from everyone I knew. Furthermore they stopped me at the airport and photocopied all my bank cards and contents of my wallet.
The U.S. sent word to the Jordanian government to search my bags again while transiting from Jeddah (went on my Umrah to Makkah). I was pulled into a little room where the head of airport security informed me that I must follow him to baggage and my things will be sorted.
The Secret Service said that the JTTF said I was threatening the life of the President. Agent McWilliams informed me that the charges were groundless and never bothered me again.
My phone has been tapped for two years.
I don't know what to do sir. I have no one that will help me and it is affecting my daily life. I feel that I am living in 1984 and it sickens me as an American and as a Patriot of this great nation.  I work and go home sir. That is all I do. I feel that something must be done and I beg your help. Please help me.

This “patriot” lists as his idol, John Walker Lindh, the American Taliban.

Unrelated but eerily similar, another man was arrested in Dallas after doing the same thing…parking a car he thought was loaded with explosives near an office building and trying to detonate it.