Two 19‑year‑old athletes from Montclair, New Jersey, were taken into custody on Tuesday on accusations of plotting an ISIS‑style terror attack. The suspects, Tomas Kaan Jimenez‑Guzel and Milo Sedarat, lived in separate $1‑million Victorian homes in the upscale suburban town just outside Newark, known for its elite public schools and its high‑profile residents such as the newly elected governor‑elect Mikie Sherrill.
Backgrounds that defy assumptions
Jimenez‑Guzel is a former defensive end on Montclair High School’s football team, standing 6 ft 1 in tall and weighing 235 pounds. Sedarat was a wrestler for the same school. Their families are both well‑established: Jimenez‑Guzel’s mother, Meral Guzel, is the head of the United Nations Women’s Entrepreneurship program, and Sedarat’s father, Roger Sedarat, is a professor of poetry and literary translation at Queens College in New York City.
Neither mother nor father was reached for comment.
Arrests and charges
Sedarat was arrested at his family’s 1.2‑million‑dollar house in Montclair. He faces two counts of “transmitting threats to interstate and foreign commerce.” Jimenez‑Guzel was stopped in a food court at Newark Liberty International Airport while waiting for a flight to Turkey. Prosecutors say he planned to travel to Syria to receive training from ISIS and that his phone contained ISIS‑inspired messages and a mention of a Boston‑bombing‑style attack, including pictures of him holding a knife in front of the ISIS flag.
Both teens were booked into federal court in Newark. Their case is being handled by Acting U.S. Attorney Alina Habba, who said the complaint “describes a pattern of antisemitic messages and preparations for violent attacks, such as a knife and sword collection, tactical gear, and photos of him practicing at a gun range.”
They are charged with attempting to give material support to a foreign terrorist organization, a crime that can carry up to 20 years in prison per count, a $250,000 fine, and lifetime supervised release. A judge issued a no‑contact order preventing the suspects from communicating with each other or with co‑conspirators.
The larger plot
Investigators say the teens were part of an online chat group that also discussed a “Halloween attack” codenamed “Pumpkin.” The group stored images and documents related to high‑profile attacks such as the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing, Columbine, and the 2019 Christchurch mosque shooting. Police seized weaponry including an AR‑15‑style rifle, two shotguns, four pistols, and more than 1,600 rounds of ammunition from other suspects across Michigan, who were charged in connection with a planned attack on gay bars in Detroit.
The federal crackdown on these “young jihadists” comes a day after authorities in Michigan seized a storage unit that held weapons, tactical gear and GoPro cameras tied to the broader ISIS‑inspired plot.
Community reaction
Neighbors in Montclair expressed shock, leaving flowers at the Sedarat family home. “They’re good kids,” one resident said, while another described the family as “good neighbors.” The arrests have rattled the quiet suburb, which usually features tree‑lined streets and affluent homes.
The U.S. Attorney’s office has vowed to pursue all conspirators. “We will not stop. We will follow where they lead,” said U.S. Attorney Jerome Gorgon, Jr. The federal courts will soon decide whether the teens face the full extent of the law for attempting to aid a foreign terrorist group and threaten U.S. security.
Source: New York Post
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