NEW JERSEY: Federal authorities have arrested two 19-year-old Montclair High School graduates accused of plotting an ISIS-inspired attack in New Jersey, including plans for a “Boston Marathon-style” bombing. The arrests have exposed an online network where the suspects allegedly shared extremist content and discussed staging a violent act codenamed “Pumpkin” for Halloween.
The two suspects — Tomas Kaan Jimenez-Guzel and Milo Sedarat — were taken into custody on Tuesday following an extensive investigation by federal agents. According to The New York Post, Acting U.S. Attorney for the District of New Jersey Alina Habba said the complaint outlined a disturbing pattern of antisemitic and extremist messages promoting violence, as well as images and purchases consistent with preparation for an attack.
Authorities said the suspects had amassed a knife and sword collection, tactical gear, and images of firearms practice at a shooting range.
Arrests and Seizures
Sedarat was arrested at his father’s three-storey home in Montclair, while Jimenez-Guzel was apprehended at Newark Liberty International Airport’s Terminal B, allegedly attempting to board a flight to Turkey with the intention of travelling onward to Syria for ISIS training.
Investigators revealed that Jimenez-Guzel had initially planned to leave the U.S. on November 17, but advanced his travel plans after learning about counterterror raids targeting ISIS suspects in Detroit.
Digital Evidence and Online Activity
Authorities said they discovered numerous ISIS-inspired messages and images on Jimenez-Guzel’s phone, including a statement referencing plans for a “Boston bombing-like attack” and photographs of him standing before an ISIS flag while holding a knife.
Investigators further uncovered that both teens were members of a private online chat group that discussed terrorist tactics, mass shootings, and past attacks — including the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing, Columbine High School massacre, and 2019 Christchurch mosque shootings.
Prosecutors said Jimenez-Guzel faces charges of attempting to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization, carrying penalties of up to 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, and lifetime supervised release.
Court Proceedings
At a brief court appearance in Newark on Wednesday, Sedarat appeared shackled at the wrists and ankles, dressed in a grey hoodie, with Magistrate Judge André Espinosa ordering his detention at Essex County Jail.
Jimenez-Guzel, described as 6-foot-1 and 235 pounds, responded quietly in court, confirming that he understood the charges. Judge Espinosa issued a no-contact order, barring the two from communicating with each other or with any potential co-conspirators. Defence attorneys for both declined comment.
Wider Terror Network
The arrests in New Jersey came just two days after authorities in Michigan charged two men in Dearborn for allegedly supplying weapons for an ISIS-inspired plot to attack gay bars in Detroit. Another man, Ayob Nasser (19), was also arrested Wednesday for assisting with weapons procurement.
Profiles of the Suspects
Public records show that both teens came from affluent families and lived in Victorian homes in Montclair, each valued at over $1 million.
Jimenez-Guzel’s mother, Meral Guzel, heads the United Nations Women’s Entrepreneurship Programme, and has worked in finance and women’s empowerment for over a decade.
Sedarat’s father, Roger Sedarat, is an Iranian-American poet and professor at Queens College, New York City, where he teaches in the MFA creative writing programme.
At Montclair High School, Jimenez-Guzel had played defensive end on the football team, while Sedarat was a member of the wrestling squad.
Authorities continue to probe whether the two had wider connections to extremist networks or were operating independently under online radical influence.
