Pinellas man pleads not guilty in Tampa terror case

TAMPA — A Pinellas County man accused by the FBI of plotting to bomb targets in Tampa pleaded not guilty to federal charges on Wednesday.

Sami Osmakac, 25, is charged with attempting to use weapons of mass destruction and possession of an unregistered machine gun. If convicted, he faces the possibility of life in prison. A trial date has not been set.

Osmakac is accused of trying to buy guns and explosives, including a car bomb, to destroy a shifting list of targets in Tampa, including a Hillsborough Sheriff's Office operations center and an Irish pub. His plans were thwarted when an acquittance reported him to the FBI. Osmakac said he wanted to instill terror in his victims' hearts, calling it "payback" for wrongs done to Muslims, an arrest affidavit said.

Osmakac, of Pinellas Park, also waived his right to appear at an arraignment in U.S. District Court in Tampa.