Men charged with bringing bombs to NYC protest were recorded discussing terror plot, indictment says

NEW YORK (AP) — The two men charged with bringing homemade bombs to a protest outside the home of New York City’s mayor were recorded describing their plan to kill as many as 60 people in a bid to “start terror,” according to an indictment released Tuesday.

Their conversations were preserved on dashcam audio and video recordings recovered from the vehicle they drove from Pennsylvania to Manhattan ahead of the March 7 attack where prosecutors say two explosive devices were thrown. Neither exploded, and both men were quickly detained.

In the recordings, Emir Balat, 18, said he wanted to target “the government” and “civilians also,” according to the new court filing. “All I know is I want to start terror, bro,” the other passenger, 19-year-old Ibrahim Kayumi, allegedly added.

Police also recovered a notebook inside the car outlining an alternative plan for a vehicle attack on locations that included festivals, parades and celebrations, according to the indictment.

Prosecutors have accused Kayumi and Balat of lighting the homemade devices — which contained the explosive TATP and shrapnel — during an anti-Islam demonstration hosted by Jake Lang, a far-right activist and critic of New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, the first Muslim to hold the office.

Kayumi and Balat later told police they were inspired by ISIS, according to a federal complaint released last month.

At an initial court appearance last month, Balat’s lawyer, Mehdi Essmidi, said his client had “complicated stuff going on” in his life, without elaborating. Kayumi’s attorney declined to speak to reporters.

Neither responded to voice messages left Tuesday evening.

In the latest court filing, prosecutors said Balat was recorded telling Kayumi that he had “calculated” the devices were “going to kill about 8 to 16 people,” or as many as 60 if the area was crowded.

According to the indictment, Balat warned Kayumi to throw the device as quick as possible. He then went over the plan.

“I’m going to say 3, 2, 1, and I’m going to take it out as fast and controlled as possible,” Balat continued, according to the indictment.

Balat also said he was “going to just start attacking police,” adding that he could “throw (an explosive device) in a cafe,” if the initial plan did not work, the indictment said.

It wasn’t clear from the indictment whether the men were aware they were being recorded by the vehicle’s dashboard camera.

Both men are being held without bail on charges that include attempting to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization and using a weapon of mass destruction. They were not required to enter a plea.

“As alleged, Emir Balat and Ibrahim Kayumi traveled to New York City with IEDs to kill as many people as possible in an ISIS-inspired terrorist attack,” FBI Assistant Director in Charge James C. Barnacle, Jr. said in a statement. “The alleged notes and instructions recovered from their vehicle demonstrate just how much cruelty they had planned.