Federal prosecutors said Alexei Saab, 42, of Morristown, New Jersey, was a scout of the militant group Hezbollah and was looking at locations in Boston, New York, and Washington D.C. "in order to help the foreign terrorist organization prepare for potential future attacks."
Federal prosecutors said Saab was sending information about the locations back to the terrorist group's leaders in Lebanon, WFXT reported.
Boston's Fenway Park, Prudential Center, and Faneuil Hall were among the alleged targets.
The charges were unveiled Thursday afternoon in a complaint that has been sealed since July when Saab was arrested.
The government said Saab was a Hezbollah member since 1996 and has extensive training in weapons and military tactics, including how to build and set off bombs.
Saab faces charges of providing material support to a foreign terrorist organization, as well as a variety of conspiracy and other charges.
Saab legally entered the U.S. in 2000 with a Lebanese passport. In 2008, he became a naturalized citizen.
Other locations federal officials said he has scouted were the Statue of Liberty, Times Square, and the Washington Monument, as well as airports, tunnels, and bridges.
The FBI Boston Division told WFXT the photos acquired were taken before 2006:
"We're going to decline comment on this specific case as it's now a pending matter before the Southern District of NY. However, the unsealed court documents reveal an alleged nexus to Boston," the FBI said. "Law enforcement officials in Massachusetts, to include the Boston Police Department have been briefed on this alleged nexus."
Boston Mayor Marty Walsh told WFXT there is no credible threat and Boston has had increased security since the news came out in 2017 that the Las Vegas shooter who killed nearly 60 people at a concert had researched locations in Boston.
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