Man who was part of online terror group planning attack in Leeds jailed
He was convicted of having a book with instructions on how to make explosives
Last updated 24th Jun 2025
A Leicester man has been jailed for five and a half years for possession of a book which could be used to help make explosives.
47 year old Claudiu Stefan Cristea was arrested in February 2024 as part of an investigation into an online far right group which was suspected of planning a terror attack in Leeds.
Upon searching his home officers found a copy of “The Anarchist’s Cookbook”, a notorious manual including instructions on how to make explosive devices and other weapons.
He was found guilty of collecting information likely to be useful to a person committing or preparing an act of terrorism at Leicester Crown Court.
Detective Chief Superintendent James Dunkerley, Head of Counter Terrorism Policing North East, said: “Cristea maintained that his interest in far right ideology was purely academic, but his involvement with the ‘Einsatz14’ chat group showed that was not the case.
“He shared racist and antisemitic views in that chat group with individuals who went on to plan an extreme right wing terrorist attack.
“Extremist material, whether it be online or in books, causes harm to people in the real world.
“If you come across material which you suspect may be terrorist or extremist, trust your instincts and report it at gov.uk/ACT so we can stop the harm it spreads.”
Three members of the same online group, one of whom is from West Yorkshire, are due to be sentenced next month.