Holliston Man Accused Of Threatening To Burn Mosque, Bomb Police Station

A Massachusetts man is being held on charges he stockpiled weapons and threatened to burn down a mosque and bomb a police station.

Joseph Garguilo, 48, of Holliston, was handcuffed and his ankles in shackles as he was brought into a federal courtroom in Boston Monday afternoon. He waived his right to a probable cause hearing and is being held pending a detention hearing set for Wednesday.

A criminal complaint says the FBI received a tip last month that Garguilo had recently acquired parts to make an AR-15 rifle and was stockpiling tasers, mace guns and other weapons. The complaint says Garguilo stated that he "will plant bombs in police stations ... and kill as many homeland security officers as he can" before being killed.

Prosecutors said investigators learned recently that Garguilo also said that he wanted to "attack a mosque and/or kill President Obama."

Garguilo's attorney, Mark Meehan, said the claims facing his client are false.

"The truth will eventually reveal itself, but Mr. Garguilo denies any and all such allegations," Meehan said.