2009 Bronx terrorism plot: Difference between revisions

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{{Short description|Foiled terrorism plot}}

{{further|Islamic extremism in the United States}}
{{Redirect|Newburgh plot|the plot against George Washington|Newburgh Conspiracy}}

{{Use American English|date=June 2025}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2012}}

{{Infobox civilian attack

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On May 20, 2009, [[Law enforcement in the United States|US law enforcement]] arrested four men in connection with a fake plot concocted by a [[Federal Bureau of Investigation]] (FBI) informant to shoot down military airplanes flying out of an [[Air National Guard]] base in [[Newburgh (town), New York|Newburgh, New York]], and blow up two [[synagogues]] in the [[Riverdale, Bronx|Riverdale]] community of [[the Bronx]] using weapons supplied by the FBI.<ref name="guardian1">{{cite news |author = Harris, Paul |title=Newburgh Four: poor, black, and jailed under FBI 'entrapment' tactics|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2011/dec/12/newburgh-four-fbi-entrapment-terror|work=[[The Guardian]] |date=December 12, 2011|access-date=March 24, 2012}}</ref><ref name="guardian2">{{cite news |author = Harris, Paul |title=The ex-FBI informant with a change of heart: 'There is no real hunt. It's fixed'|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2012/mar/20/fbi-informant|work=[[The Guardian]] |date=March 20, 2012|access-date=March 24, 2012}}</ref><ref name="csmonitor1">{{cite web|last=Peter |first=Tom A. |url=httphttps://www.csmonitor.com/2009/0521/p06s04-duts.html |title=New York terror plotters wanted to 'do jihad' |publisher=csmonitor.com |access-date=May 21, 2009 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20090524221948/http://www.csmonitor.com/2009/0521/p06s04-duts.html |archivedate=May 24, 2009 |url-status=dead |df=mdy }}</ref><ref name="nyt">{{cite news | last = Hernandez | first = Javier C. |author2= Sewell Chan | title = N.Y. Bomb Plot Suspects Acted Alone, Police Say | work=[[The New York Times]] | date = May 21, 2009 | url = https://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/22/nyregion/22terror.html | access-date =May 21, 2009| archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20140724081544/http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/22/nyregion/22terror.html| archivedate=July 24, 2014| url-status= live}}</ref> The group was led by Shahed Hussain, a Pakistani criminal who was working for the FBI to avoid deportation for having defrauded the [[New York State Department of Motor Vehicles]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/10/09/nyregion/limo-owner-fbi-informant-shahed-hussain.html|title = Limo Company Owner in Crash Revealed as F.B.I. Informant, Recruiter of Terrorists, Fraudster|newspaper = The New York Times|date = October 9, 2018|last1 = Newman|first1 = Andy}}</ref> Hussain has never been charged in the United States with any terrorism related offenses and was paid nearly {{Currency|100,000|US}}<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2011/07/shahed-hussain-fbi-informant/|title = Timeline: The Making of an FBI Superinformant}}</ref> by the FBI for his work on this plot.

The FBI's use of seemingly affluent informants promising luxury goods, large sums of money, and generous favors to the four low-income defendants led to accusations that the agency had engaged in [[entrapment]].<ref name="guardian1" /><ref name="guardian2" /> On August 23, 2013, by a two-to-one vote, an appeal to overturn the convictions was denied by a Manhattan appeals court. Judge [[Jon O. Newman]] cited defendant James Cromitie's statements as proof of intent. In [[Dissenting opinion|dissent]], the Chief Judge [[Dennis Jacobs]] said there was scarce evidence of previous intent and that Cromitie was "badgered" into joining the plot. All three judges unanimously rejected the entrapment claims by the three other defendants and rejected all four defendants’ arguments that their convictions should be overturned on grounds of government misconduct.<ref name="auto">{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2013/08/24/nyregion/appeals-court-upholds-convictions-of-men-in-bronx-synagogue-plot.html|title=Convictions in Synagogue Bombing Plot Upheld|first=Benjamin|last=Weiser|newspaper=The New York Times|date=August 23, 2013|publisher=}}</ref> In July 2023, Judge [[Colleen McMahon]] ordered the [[compassionate release]] of three of the conspirators, saying they had only participated because Cromitie promised to pay them.<ref name=2023release/> In January 2024, McMahon also ordered the release of Cromitie, the last remaining defendant in prison.<ref name=ap-2024/>

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==Suspects==

The terrorist suspects were four Muslim men; three are African-American U.S. citizens, and one is a Haitian immigrant.<ref name="accused">{{cite news|last = Baker| first = Al |author2= Javier C. Hernandez | url=https://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/21/nyregion/21arrests.html |title=4 Accused of Bombing Plot at Bronx Synagogues |work=The New York Times |date=May 20, 2009 |access-date=May 25, 2009| archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20120827134809/http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/21/nyregion/21arrests.html| archivedate=August 27, 2012| url-status= live}}</ref> James Cromitie (born December 24, 1964) was first recruited by Shahed Hussain, an Albany hotel owner and FBI informant at the [[Masjid al-Ikhlas]] mosque in Newburgh, New York,<ref name="nydailynews1"/><ref name="accused"/> which he attended on only a few occasions. The FBI informant posed as a wealthy business man and enticed Cromitie with an offer of $250,000.<ref>Newburgh mosque leaders: We don't preach hate

By Alex Weisler · May 25, 2009 {{cite web|url=http://jta.org/news/article/2009/05/25/1005409/mosque-members-say-bombing-suspects-were-weak-people |title = Newburgh mosque leaders: We don't preach hate {{!}} JTA - Jewish & Israel News |access-date=2009-05-26 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20100106055713/http://jta.org/news/article/2009/05/25/1005409/mosque-members-say-bombing-suspects-were-weak-people |archivedate=January 6, 2010 }}</ref>

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The men placed fake bombs wired to cell phones in three separate cars outside the [[Riverdale Temple]] and nearby [[Riverdale Jewish Center]], both in the [[Riverdale, Bronx|Riverdale]] community of Bronx. [[New York City Police Department]] Commissioner [[Raymond W. Kelly]] said one of the suspects placed explosives, while the other three suspects served as lookouts.<ref name="nyt" /><ref name="nydailynews1">{{cite news | url=http://www.nydailynews.com/news/ny_crime/2009/05/20/2009-05-20_fbi_arrest_four_in_alleged_plot_to_car_bomb_bronx_synagogue.html | title=FBI arrest four in alleged plot to bomb Bronx synagogues, shoot down plane | work=Daily News | ___location=New York | date=May 21, 2009 | first1=Michael | last1=Daly | first2=Alison | last2=Gendar | first3=Helen | last3=Kennedy | url-status=dead | access-date=May 21, 2009 | archive-date=May 21, 2009 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090521234811/http://www.nydailynews.com/news/ny_crime/2009/05/20/2009-05-20_fbi_arrest_four_in_alleged_plot_to_car_bomb_bronx_synagogue.html }}</ref>

The men were returning to their vehicle and heading to attack aircraft at the [[Stewart Air National Guard Base]] in [[Newburgh, New York]], with the fake Stinger missiles when law enforcement stopped them.<ref name="nydailynews1" /><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/us_and_americas/article6331894.ece |title=Four arrested over plot to blow up New York synagogue |work=The Times |___location=London |date= May 21, 2009|access-date=May 21, 2009 }}{{dead link|date=September 2024|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref> The air base shares facilities with the civilian [[Stewart International Airport]].

As the men were returning to the vehicle, the signal was given for the arrest. An 18-wheel New York City Police Department vehicle blocked the end of the street. The FBI informer also served as the driver of the suspects' vehicle. Another armored vehicle arrived, and officers from the department's Emergency Service Unit smashed the blackened windows of the S.U.V., removed the men from the vehicle, and handcuffed them on the ground. None offered resistance.<ref name="disruption1">{{cite news|last=Chan |first=Sewell |url=http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/05/21/police-detail-disruption-of-terror-plot/ |title=Latest Updates in Terror Plot - City Room Blog |publisher=Cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com |date=September 17, 2008 |access-date=May 21, 2009| archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20090525234144/http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/05/21/police-detail-disruption-of-terror-plot/| archivedate= May 25, 2009 | url-status= live}}</ref>

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In 2022, [[U.S. Representative]]s [[Elise Stefanik]] and [[Paul Tonko]] called on the FBI to reveal whether it had any knowledge of Shahed Hussain's activities with the limousine company before the crash. At an April 2022 hearing of the [[House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence|House Intelligence Committee]], Stefanik questioned FBI director [[Christopher A. Wray]] about whether Hussain's history as an informant may have led the bureau to protect him from consequences for the limousine company's extensive history of regulatory violations, but Wray refused to answer directly, citing confidentiality concerns. In August, Stefanik told ''[[Fox News]]'' that she had not received any response from the bureau, and a spokeswoman for Tonko stated likewise when asked by the ''[[Albany Times Union]]''.<ref>{{cite news|last=Rulison|first=Larry|title=Stefanik continues to slam FBI over Schoharie limo crash case|url=https://www.timesunion.com/business/article/Stefanik-continues-to-slam-FBI-over-Schoharie-17392078.php|newspaper=[[Albany Times Union]]|date=August 23, 2022|access-date=August 24, 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite press release |author=<!--Not stated--> |title=Stefanik Demands Answers from FBI Director Wray on Schoharie County Limo Crash|url=https://stefanik.house.gov/2022/3/stefanik-demands-answers-from-fbi-director-wray-on-schoharie-county-limo-crash|___location=[[Washington, DC]]|publisher=Rep. [[Elise Stefanik]]|date=April 1, 2022|access-date=August 25, 2022}}</ref>

On July 27, 2023, a federal judge in the S.D.N.Y.[[United States District Court for the Southern District of New York|Southern District of New York]] granted a motion by 3 of the 4 defendants for compassionate release. ''[[The New York Times]]'' was unable to locate Shahed Hussain for comment, saying he was believed to be in Pakistan.<ref name="2023release" /> On January 19, 2024, McMahon ordered the compassionate release of Cromitie, the last defendant still in prison, calling his alleged leadership "inconceivable" and calling Hussain "very unpleasant" and a "villain."<ref name=ap-2024>{{Cite web |date=2024-01-20 |title=Judge orders release of 'Newburgh Four' defendant and blasts FBI's role in terror sting |url=https://apnews.com/article/newburgh-four-terrorism-sting-fbi-compassionate-release-cromitie-40f7e967468de02b4b7ec2d331b0511e |access-date=2024-01-22 |website=AP News |language=en}}</ref>

==See also==

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Bronx terrorism plot}}

[[Category:AntisemitismAntisemitic attacks and incidents in New York City]]

[[Category:Failed terrorist attempts in New York City]]

[[Category:Terrorist incidents in the United States in 2009|New York City bomb plot, 2009]]

[[Category:21st-century attacks on synagogues and Jewish communal organizationsinstitutions in the United States]]

[[Category:Islamic terrorism in New York (state)]]

[[Category:Islam and antisemitism]]

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[[Category:Riverdale, Bronx]]

[[Category:Newburgh, New York]]

[[Category:May 2009 events in the United States]]

[[Category:2000s in the Bronx]]

[[Category:2009 in New York City]]