Indictment For Bucks County Men Gives New Details On Terror Plot

Federal prosecutors on Tuesday unsealed an eight-count indictment against two Lower Bucks County men who have been held in custody on terrorism charges.

The lengthy indictment has new details on the thwarted plot to allegedly carry out a mass-casualty terrorist attack near Gracie Mansion in New York City in the name of ISIS.

The indictment by a grand jury comes after a month-long investigation into the actions of Emir Balat, 18, of Middletown Township, and Ibrahim Kayumi, 19, of Newtown Township, who allegedly intended for their attack to eclipse the carnage of the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing.

“They sought to murder multiple innocent victims in the name of ISIS. The brave women and men of the NYPD responded immediately, and Balat and Kayumi were arrested on site,” said U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York Jay Clayton.

The indictment was announced by federal prosecutors and leadership from the FBI and NYPD.

Balat, a student at Neshaminy High School, and Kayumi, a recent graduate of Council Rock High School North, were indicted on charges of conspiracy to provide material support and resources to a designated foreign terrorist organization, provision and attempted provision of material support and resources to a designated foreign terrorist organization, conspiracy to use a weapon of mass destruction, attempted use of a weapon of mass destruction, carrying of explosive materials during the commission of a federal felony, transportation of explosive materials, interstate transportation and receipt of explosives, and unlawful possession of destructive devices.

If convicted on the most serious charges, both Balat and Kayumi face a maximum sentence of life in prison. They are currently being held in federal custody without bail.

According to court documents, the plot culminated on Saturday, March 7, as two rival demonstrations converged near the official residence of New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, the city’s first Muslim mayor. One group called their rally “Stop the Islamic Takeover of New York City” and was met by a counter-protest dubbed “Run Nazis Out of New York City”.

Prosecutors allege that Balat and Kayumi drove from Bucks County to Manhattan in a vehicle registered to one of Balat’s relatives. They parking just blocks away from the city-owned residence.

At approximately 12:15 p.m., as the protests reached a fever pitch, Balat allegedly ignited an improvised explosive device (IED) and hurled it toward the gathered crowd, authorities said.

While the device failed to detonate, the indictment describes a coordinated handoff that followed.

Balat reportedly ran down the block to a secondary location where Kayumi was waiting with a second IED.

Balat allegedly ignited this second device and dropped it near a group of NYPD officers before attempting to flee by jumping over a security barricade.

NYPD officers tackled Balat at the scene, while Kayumi was apprehended nearby moments later.

Forensic analysis of the two devices revealed they were packed with shrapnel—specifically nuts and bolts—and a highly volatile explosive material known as triacetone triperoxide, or TATP, which is known colloquially as the “Mother of Satan,” according to court papers.

Officials have said TATP has been a hallmark of major international terrorist attacks over the last decade.

The devices were constructed using glass jars wrapped in heavy duct tape, with one device featuring an energy drink can filled with the explosive, according to the indictment.

Authorities noted that the use of such a sensitive primary explosive indicated a high level of danger to both the public and the defendants themselves during transportation from Lower Bucks County to New York City.

A search of the vehicle the pair drove to New York City yielded evidence, including a dashboard camera that had recorded the previous three days of the pair’s activities.

The dashcam footage allegedly captured the teens’ final journey from Bucks County to New York City, including a candid discussion about their motivations.

On the recording, Kayumi is heard stating, “All I know is I want to start terror, bro,” and “I want to petrify these people”.

Balat responded by coaching Kayumi on the mechanics of the attack, warning him to throw the devices quickly because he had tested the fuses and found some to be inconsistent.

Balat allegedly said in the dashcam footage that the duo would be taking part in “martyrdom.” He added he left a note behind.

Balat allegedly stated that he had calculated the lethality and predicted the TATP would kill between 8 and 16 people, or as many as 60 if the area was crowded.

In addition to the recordings, investigators recovered a handwritten notebook from the car.

The notes included a day-by-day “to-do” list, chemical formulas for “acetone peroxide synthesis,” and detailed warnings about the dangers of the explosives becoming too dry and sensitive. The notebook also contained an alternate plan for a vehicle-ramming attack, listing the “ideal vehicle” as one that is large, load-bearing, and fast, with target suggestions including parades and festivals.

While being transported to the precinct, Balat allegedly shouted that his religion “takes action” when people speak ill of the prophet.

After waiving his Miranda rights, he requested a pen and paper to write a formal pledge of allegiance to ISIS, ending the note with the slogan “Die in your rage.”

When questioned about his goals, Balat reportedly dismissed comparisons to the Boston Marathon bombing, which killed three people.

“No, even bigger,” he allegedly told investigators, referring to his own intended body count.

Kayumi was similarly vocal and responded “ISIS” when a bystander at the scene of the arrest asked who he was working for. He later told investigators he had been “partly inspired” by the terrorist organization after consuming radical propaganda online.

The investigation in Manhattan moved to Bucks County the day after the failed attack.

The scale of the alleged operation became even clearer when FBI agents executed a search warrant on a storage unit at the Public Storage on South Flowers Mill Road in Middletown Township, which Balat had rented just days before the attack.

Inside, agents found bowls containing TATP residue, 12 percent hydrogen peroxide, digital scales, and glass jars identical to those used in the New York devices.

The materials were deemed so volatile that FBI bomb technicians and local bomb squads conducted controlled detonations at the facility late at night on Sunday, March 9 to ensure public safety.

The controlled explosions were felt as far away as the Newtown Bypass and New Falls Road in Bristol Township.

In the center of the storage unit’s floor, investigators found a piece of paper that echoed the defendants’ alleged radicalization: “All praise is due to Allah!!! Die in your rage ya kuffar!”.

FBI special agents executed simultaneous search warrants on the family homes of Balat and Kayumi in Middletown Township and Newtown Township. None of their family members have been accused of wrongdoing.

Police and federal authorities recovered Kayumi’s 2010 Honda parked at the Anchor Shopping Center in the 800 block of Durham Road in Wrightstown Township hours after the men were arrested.

“What they allegedly set in motion was an ISIS-inspired act of terrorism with the potential for mass casualties,” said NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch. “It was stopped because of the quick-thinking, decisive actions of the men and women of the NYPD, who moved toward the threat and took these individuals into custody before more lives were put at risk. I thank our partners at the FBI and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District for their work in securing this indictment.”

Past reporting on the failed attack:

• Officers Reflect On Stopping Bucks County Men During Attempted Terror Attack

• Vehicle Of Terrorism Defendant Located In Wrightstown & Cleared By Bomb Squad

• Man Accused In Terror Plot Bought Supplies At Local Fireworks Store

• FBI Finds ‘Explosive Residue’ In Middletown During Terrorism Probe

• FBI Executes Second Day Of Searches In Terrorism Probe

• 2 Local Men Charged With Attempting Terrorist Attack

• Council Rock Says No Threat After FBI Raids

• Superintendent: No Threat To Neshaminy After Student’s Arrest In NYC

• As Part Of Investigation, FBI Raids Homes In Middletown & Newtown