Supplier's Of Weapons To California Terrorist Charged

Enrique Marquez Jr, lived next door to Farook, 28, who introduced him to Islam 10 years ago.

The man who bought the assault rifles used by the couple behind the San Bernardino massacre has been charged with terrorism-related offences for plotting an earlier attack that was aborted.

Marquez is facing three charges which could bring a maximum of 35 years in federal prison, according to the criminal complaint.

A lengthy affidavit outlines the evidence against him, including statements he gave over 11 days after he waived his rights to remain silent and be represented by a lawyer.

Among the evidence was the phone call he made to police hours after the attack to say his neighbour had used his gun in the shooting, in which he used an expletive to describe Farook.

He then arrived agitated at a hospital emergency room, saying he had downed nine beers and was "involved" in the shooting. He was involuntarily committed to a psychiatric ward.

Enrique Marquez Jr, 24, was charged with conspiring to provide material support to terrorists.

The charges allege he plotted with Syed Rizwan Farook to launch attacks in 2011 and 2012 at a community college and a congested freeway during rush hour, but they never carried out their plans.

Marquez Jr told authorities he converted to Islam at the age of 16, and four years later was spending most of his time at Farook's home, listening and watching to "radical Islamic content", which included al Qaeda instructions on how to make bombs.

In 2011, Marquez and Farook planned to throw pipe bombs into the cafeteria of the community college they attended and then shoot people who fled.

Marquez said they also planned to throw pipe bombs on a busy section of freeway that has no exits, with both shooting motorists who tried to flee.

As part of the plan, Marquez bought two assault rifles in November 2011 and February 2012.

Marquez was also charged with illegally purchasing two assault rifles that Farook and his wife, Tashfeen Malik, used to kill 14 people during a holiday party for Farook's health department colleagues on 2 December.

The couple were killed hours later using the same firearms during a gun battle with police.

Marquez was working at a Riverside bar at the time of the San Bernardino attack and is not alleged to have played a role.

But prosecutors said he was linked to the killings by the guns and bomb-making materials he bought, which the couple planned to detonate.