The US Department of Justice says it has thwarted an alleged plan by a North Carolina man to carry out an ISIS-inspired attack using knives and hammers on New Year's Eve.

Christian Sturdivant, 18, of Mint Hill, North Carolina, has been charged with providing material support to a foreign terrorist organisation, according to a criminal complaint.

Mr Sturdivant has not yet entered a plea on the charges. He was arrested on Wednesday, local time.

He made his first court appearance on Friday and was remanded in custody.

An FBI affidavit filed in the case said Mr Sturdivant came under investigation last month following information that a social media account, which officials connected to the teenager, had made posts supportive of Islamic State (IS).

Those included posts that depicted a ballistic vest and appeared to promote violence, the affidavit said, and the display name for the account referenced the name of the late IS leader, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.

Mr Sturdivant began communicating on social media with someone he thought was supportive of his plans but who was actually an undercover FBI employee, the affidavit stated.

Hammers and knives seized

US Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina Russ Ferguson claimed Mr Sturdivant had planned to attack a grocery store and fast food restaurant in his hometown, which is near Charlotte.

Mr Sturdivant did actually set out for a neighbour's house armed with a hammer and a knife, but was restrained by his grandfather, the affidavit said.

"He was preparing for jihad and innocent people were going to die," Mr Ferguson told reporters on Friday.

FBI agents searching Mr Sturdivant's home found a handwritten document titled "New Years Attack 2026", which allegedly discussed plans to stab up to 20 victims and attack responding police officers.

Agents seized hammers and knives from his bedroom, according to a Justice Department statement, which cited information in a criminal complaint.

The complaint alleged that Mr Sturdivant had planned the attack for about a year and communicated online in December with two undercover agents with the FBI and New York Police Department, whom he thought were affiliated with ISIS.

He shared photos of two hammers and a knife and discussed plans for a coming attack, according to the complaint.

The Department of Justice says it thwarted the potential attack.  (AP: Jenny Kane)

Mr Sturdivant came onto the FBI's radar initially in 2022 when, as a juvenile, he was in contact with an unidentified ISIS member overseas and took steps to carry out an attack with a hammer, according to the FBI affidavit.

Law enforcement officials said he was not charged over that incident and instead underwent psychological treatment.

He is set to return to court on January 7.

AP/Reuters