Charlotte-area terrorism suspect pleads guilty Tuesday in federal court

Justin Sullivan, a 20-year-old Morganton man accused of plotting a mass killing in support of the Islamic State, pleaded guilty Tuesday morning in Asheville federal court to terrorism-related charges. He will be sentenced at a later date.

Sullivan entered his plea during a 9 a.m. appearance before U.S. District Judge Martin Reidinger. Sullivan had previously pleaded not guilty to an array of federal charges related to his alleged plot to kill hundreds of people in behalf of the Islamic State, better known as ISIS or ISIL. He was arrested in June 2015.

The terms of the plea agreement between his attorney and the U.S. Attorney’s Office were not immediately available Tuesday morning, so the nature of the charges he pleaded to remained unknown. He had faced life in prison.

Sullivan still faces capital murder charges in Burke County related to the 2014 shooting death of John Bailey Clark, 74, who lived near Sullivan and his parents.

Read more here: http://www.charlotteobserver.com/news/local/crime/article117679013.html