El Bahnasawy, a Canadian Citizen, Planned to Detonate
Explosive Devices in Times Square and the New York City Subway System and Shoot
Civilians at Concerts in the Name of ISIS
Geoffrey S. Berman, the United States Attorney for the
Southern District of New York, and John C. Demers, the Assistant Attorney
General for National Security, announced today that ABDULRAHMAN EL BAHNASAWY
was sentenced to 40 years in prison for plotting to carry out terrorist attacks
in New York City during the summer of 2016 in support of the Islamic State of
Iraq and al-Sham (“ISIS”), a designated foreign terrorist organization. EL BAHNASAWY pled guilty on October 13, 2016,
before U.S. District Judge Richard M. Berman to a seven-count Superseding
Information charging EL BAHNASAWY with terrorism offenses. Judge Berman also imposed today’s sentence.
U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman said: “In the name of ISIS, Abdulrahman El
Bahnasawy planned an elaborate attack to wreak havoc and destruction on New
York City. He planned to detonate bombs
in Times Square and the New York City subway system, and to shoot civilians at
concert venues. Demonstrating his
commitment to carry out the attacks, El Bahnasawy pinpointed bomb locations on
a map of the subway system, and acquired an array of bomb-making
materials. El Bahnasawy aspired, in his
words, to ‘create the next 9/11.’ Thanks
to our law enforcement partners in New York, nationally, and internationally,
this potentially devastating plot was thwarted.”
Assistant Attorney General John C. Demers said: “El Bahnasawy conspired with others to
conduct terrorist attacks in New York City in support of ISIS, and came into
this country to carry them out. Today’s
sentence reflects the severity of his conduct and holds him accountable for his
terrorist activities. I want to commend
the prosecutors, agents, and analysts who are responsible for this successful
result. The National Security Division
is committed to identifying and holding accountable those who seek to harm to
our country and our citizens.”
According to the Indictment, Superseding Information, and
other court filings:
Using encrypted electronic messaging applications, EL
BAHNASAWY, a 20-year-old Canadian citizen and resident, plotted with Talha
Haroon, a 20-year-old U.S. citizen residing in Pakistan, and Russell Salic, a
38-year-old Philippines citizen and resident, to conduct bombings and shootings
in heavily populated areas of New York City during the Islamic holy month of
Ramadhan in 2016, all in the name of ISIS (the “NYC Attacks”). EL BAHNASAWY acquired bomb-making materials
and helped secure a cabin within driving distance of New York City to use for
building explosive devices and staging the NYC Attacks. Haroon allegedly made plans to travel from
Pakistan to New York City to join EL BAHNASAWY in carrying out the attacks. And as EL BAHNASAWY and Haroon prepared to
execute the NYC Attacks, Salic allegedly wired money from the Philippines to
the United States to help fund the terrorist operation.
An undercover FBI agent infiltrated the co-conspirators’
terrorist plot, posing as an ISIS supporter prepared to join in the
attacks. The FBI arrested EL BAHNASAWY
in May 2016 after he traveled from Canada to the New York City area in
preparation for the attacks, and he has been in custody since that time. Haroon was arrested in Pakistan in September
2016, and Salic was arrested in the Philippines in April 2017, based on
Complaints filed against them in Manhattan federal court, and they remain in
foreign custody pending proceedings for their extradition to the United States.
*
* *
In addition to the prison term, EL BAHNASAWY, 20, of
Mississauga, Canada, was sentenced to lifetime supervised release.
Mr. Berman and Mr. Demers praised the outstanding efforts of
the FBI’s New York Joint Terrorism Task Force, which principally consists of
agents from the FBI and detectives from the NYPD, and the FBI’s Los Angeles and
Denver Field Offices. Mr. Berman and Mr.
Demers also thanked the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, the FBI’s Cleveland
Field Office, the FBI’s Legal Attaché Offices in Canada, Pakistan, and the
Philippines, the New York State Police, the Department of Justice’s Office of
International Affairs, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District
of California for their assistance.
This prosecution is being handled by the Office’s Terrorism
and International Narcotics Unit.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Negar Tekeei and George D. Turner are in charge
of the prosecution, with assistance from Trial Attorneys Joshua Champagne and
Larry Schneider of the Department of Justice’s National Security Division.
The charges contained in the Complaints filed against Haroon
and Salic are merely accusations, and Haroon and Salic are presumed innocent
unless and until proven guilty.
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