Two 19-year-olds from Montclair, New Jersey, Tomas Kaan Jimenez-Guzal and Milo Sedarat, were arrested by federal authorities after being accused of participating in an “ISIS-inspired terror ring,” with one allegedly plotting a Boston-style attack and planning to join ISIS, according to officials, the New York Post reports. The teens lived in upscale, million-dollar Victorian homes in the quiet suburb outside New York City but, according to federal investigators, were engaged in plotting a domestic terror attack.
According to The Post, Acting US Attorney for the District of New Jersey Alina Habba said the complaint “describes a pattern of antisemitic messages advocating violence, along with images and purchases consistent with preparation for attack, including a knife and sword collection, tactical gear, and images of him practicing at a gun range.”
Milo Sedarat was taken into custody at his father’s well-kept three-story home in Montclair on Tuesday, according to sources. Property records indicate the family residence, which spans three floors, is valued at about $1.2 million. Sedarat faces “two counts of transmitting threats to interstate and foreign commerce.”
Jimenez-Guzel was taken into custody Tuesday at a food court in Terminal B of Newark Liberty International Airport. Authorities said he had planned to fly to Turkey to visit family, intending to continue on to Syria to train with ISIS. Officials said the suspect originally scheduled his departure for November 17 but moved it forward after reports surfaced about the Detroit raids involving terror suspects. Federal investigators also said they found numerous ISIS-inspired messages on his phone, including an online post in which he discussed carrying out an attack similar to the Boston bombing. Jimenez-Guzel is charged with “attempting to provide material support to a foreign terror group.”
Habba said the messages “also included photographs of Jimenez-Guzel standing in front of the ISIS flag holding a knife,” according to The Post.
Sedarat appeared at the federal courthouse in Newark on Wednesday evening, his wrists and ankles bound in shackles. He wore a gray hoodie, his hair slightly messy, and a faint mustache on his face. During his short appearance before Magistrate André Espinosa, he smiled at someone in the gallery before the judge ordered him held at the Essex County jail.
Jimenez-Guzel, towering over the U.S. Marshals escorting him into the Newark courtroom in shackles, stayed silent throughout the hearing except to confirm to Judge Espinosa that he understood the charges and possible penalties, which prosecutors said could include up to 20 years in prison for each count, a $250,000 fine, and lifetime supervised release.
According to The Post, “prosecutors also asked for a no-contact order prohibiting Jiminez-Guzel and Sedarat from having any contact with their co-conspirators and co-defendants, as well as a separation order specifically prohibiting any communication between the teen suspects, which Judge Espinosa granted.”
Investigators emphasized that careful monitoring and intervention by law enforcement prevented their plans from advancing further, and they have underscored the ongoing concern about domestic radicalization among American youth.