Pfc. Naser Jason Abdo (Jail photo)

WACO (August 9, 2011)—A federal grand jury Tuesday in Waco returned an indictment against AWOL Army Pfc. Naser Jason Abdo, 21, charging possession of an unregistered destructive device, possession of a firearm and possession of ammunition by a fugitive from justice.

Abdo was arrested on July 27 at a hotel in Killeen after a clerk at a local gun store alerted authorities about a man who bought a quantity of gunpowder.

The indictment alleges that Abdo had shotgun shells and pellets, six containers of smokeless gunpowder, two clocks, two spools of auto wire, an electric drill, two pressure cookers and instructions on how to build a bomb.

Authorities say he planned to use the materials to make two bombs, which he planned to detonate in two Fort Hood area restaurants frequented by soldiers and their families.

They say he then planned to use the semi-automatic pistol to shoot anyone not injured or killed in the explosions.

Abdo, who remains in federal custody, faces as much as 10 years in federal prison and a maximum fine of $250,000 per count if convicted.

On July 29, as Abdo was led from a Waco federal courtroom after a brief hearing, he shouted a reference to accused Fort Hood gunman Maj. Nidal Hasan and to another incident in which Fort Campbell soldiers are accused of raping and murdering a 12-year-old Afghan girl.

Abdo, who’s from Garland, joined the Army in March 2009.

He went AWOL on July 4, on the eve of his first deployment to Afghanistan.

He sought conscientious objector status in June 2010 and an Army spokesman said the application was approved.

Abdo was about to be discharged when child pornography allegations surfaced.

After a hearing on June 15, Roland said, an investigating officer recommended that Abdo be referred for court-martial on the child pornography charges.

Abdo has said he thought he was charged with a crime because he sought to leave the Army as a conscientious objector.

He was assigned to the 101st Airborne Division’s Company E, 1st Brigade Combat Team (Rear Provisional) at the time of his arrest.