Additionally, charges against Faisal Shahzad allege that he received a series of phone calls from Pakistan in the days leading up to the incident, including five calls on the same day he bought the Nissan Pathfinder used in the attempted attack Saturday night in the bustling area of New York.

The documents, filed in U.S. District Court, detail five counts against Shahzad: attempting to use a weapon of mass destruction, acts of terrorism transcending national boundaries, use of a destructive device in connection with criminal violence, transporting and receiving explosives, and damaging and destroying property by means of fire.

If convicted, Shahzad could get life in prison.

Shahzad, 30, a naturalized U.S. citizen from Pakistan who was living in Connecticut, was arrested at New York's John F. Kennedy airport on May 3 after boarding a flight bound for Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

He was due in federal court on May 4, but that appearance was delayed until at least Thursday as he continued to be questioned by authorities.