LawFuel.com – US Law Newswire Service –
LEV L. DASSIN, the Acting United States Attorney for
the Southern District of New York, announced today the filing of
an eight-count Indictment against JAMES CROMITIE, a/k/a “Abdul
Rahman,” a/k/a “Abdul Rehman,” DAVID WILLIAMS, a/k/a “Daoud,”
a/k/a “DL,” ONTA WILLIAMS, a/k/a “Hamza,” and LAGUERRE PAYEN,
a/k/a “Amin,” a/k/a “Almondo,” arising from their plot to
detonate explosives near a synagogue and Jewish community center
in the Riverdale section of Bronx, New York, and to shoot
military planes located at the New York Air National Guard Base
at Stewart Airport in Newburgh, New York, with Stinger surfaceto-
air guided missiles.
All four defendants were arrested on May 20, 2009, in
Bronx, New York, on the basis of charges set forth in a sworn
criminal Complaint. They were presented before United States
Magistrate Judge LISA M. SMITH on May 21, 2009, and ordered
detained pending trial.
The Indictment filed today in White Plains federal
court charges CROMITIE, DAVID WILLIAMS, ONTA WILLIAMS, and PAYEN
with the following offenses, carrying the following potential
penalties:
Count Charge Maximum
Prison Term
1 Conspiracy to use weapons of mass
destruction within the United States
Life
2 Attempt to use weapons of mass
destruction within the United States
Life
3 Attempt to use weapons of mass
destruction within the United States
Life
4 Attempt to use weapons of mass
destruction within the United States
Life
5 Conspiracy to acquire and use antiaircraft
missiles
Life*
6 Attempt to acquire and use anti-aircraft
missiles
Life*
7 Conspiracy to kill officers and
employees of the United States
Life
8 Attempt to kill officers and employees
of the United States
20 years
*Counts Five and Six also carry mandatory minimum penalties of 25
years in prison.
The four defendants are scheduled to be arraigned on
the Indictment in White Plains federal court before United States
Magistrate Judge PAUL E. DAVISON on Wednesday, June 3, 2009, at
10:00 a.m., and the case will be assigned to a United States
District Judge at that time.
Mr. DASSIN praised the New York Joint Terrorism Task
Force — which principally consists of agents of the FBI and
detectives of the New York City Police Department — the New York
State Police, and the United States Air Force Office of Special
Investigations for their extraordinary work in the investigation
of this case.
Assistant United States Attorneys ERIC SNYDER and DAVID
LEIBOWITZ are in charge of the prosecution.
The charges contained in the Indictment are merely
accusations and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and
until proven guilty.
09-171 ###
