‘ISIS-inspired’ Halloween attack: Two New Jersey teens arrested; Officials say suspects planned Boston-style bombings – The Times of India

In a major development called the “ISIS-inspired” Halloween attack, federal authorities arrested two 19-year-old Montclair High School students, with one suspect charged with plotting a bombing in Boston, officials said Wednesday. Tomas Kaan Jimenez-Guzel and Milo Sedarat are both 19 years old, New York Post reports.

Acting U.S. Attorney for the District of New Jersey Alina Habba said the complaint “describes a pattern of anti-Semitic messages advocating violence, along with images and purchases consistent with preparation for an attack, including a knife and sword collection, tactical gear and images of him practicing at a shooting range.”Sederat and Jimenez-Guzel were arrested Tuesday. Sederat was arrested at his father’s three-story home in Montclair, while Guzel was arrested at a food court in Terminal B at Newark Liberty International Airport, where he was reportedly waiting for a flight to Turkey with the aim of traveling on to Syria for ISIS training.Officials said he originally planned to travel on Nov. 17, but pushed back the date after news of raids against terror suspects in Detroit.

Authorities found numerous ISIS-inspired messages on his phone, including an online statement about carrying out a “bombing-style attack in Boston” and photos of him standing in front of the ISIS flag and holding a knife. He is accused of providing material support to a foreign terrorist group.Investigators said the two suspects were part of a chat group where members discussed plans for a Halloween attack codenamed “Pumpkin” and shared material about mass shootings and terrorist attacks, including the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing, Columbine and the 2019 Christchurch mosque shooting.

At brief court hearings in Newark on Wednesday, Sedarat arrived handcuffed at the wrists and ankles, wearing a gray hoodie, tousled hair and a faint mustache. Magistrate André Espinosa ordered him held in the Essex County Jail.Jimenez-Guzel, who towered over the U.S. Marshals, remained silent except to confirm that he understood the charges and possible penalties, which prosecutors say include up to 20 years in prison per charge, a $250,000 fine and life on supervised release.Judge Espinosa issued a restraining order prohibiting the teens from communicating with each other or with co-conspirators. Both attorneys declined requests for comment at the federal courthouse. The arrests in New Jersey came two days after two men from Dearborn, Michigan, were charged with providing weapons for an ISIS-inspired attack that allegedly targeted gay bars in Detroit. Police also arrested Ayob Nasser, 19, of Dearborn, on Wednesday for his role in acquiring weapons and supporting ISIS.

Guzel and Sedarat both lived in Victorian homes in the well-manicured New York City suburb worth more than $1 million. Sedarat’s family home, located in Montclair, was valued at $1.2 million, according to public records.Jimenez-Guzel’s mother, Meral Guzel, directs the United Nations Women’s Entrepreneurship program. According to her LinkedIn account, she has been working on women’s empowerment projects for more than a decade, having previously worked in the financial sector.Sedarat’s father, Roger Sedarat, is an award-winning Iranian-American poet and professor at Queens College, New York City, and teaches in the MFA program.Both young men attended Montclair High School. Jimenez-Guzel, a hulking 6-foot-4 and 235 pounds, played defensive end on the football team. Sedarat was on the wrestling team.