| The Newburgh Four Bombers | |
|---|---|
 Location of the two targets. | |
| Location | New York |
| Date | Attempted on May 20, 2009 |
Attack type | Attempted bombing; attempt to shoot down military aircraft |
| Weapons |
|
| Deaths | 0 |
| Injured | 0 |
| Perpetrators |
|
On May 20, 2009, US law enforcement arrested four men in connection with a fake plot concocted by a Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) informant to shoot down military airplanes flying out of an Air National Guard base in Newburgh, New York, and blow up two synagogues in the Riverdale community of the Bronx using weapons supplied by the FBI.[1][2][3][4] The group was led by Shahed Hussain, a Pakistani criminal who was working for the FBI to avoid deportation for having defrauded the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles.[5] Hussain has never been charged in the United States with any terrorism related offenses and was paid nearly US$100,000[6] by the FBI for his work on this plot.
The FBI's use of seemingly affluent informants promising luxury goods, large sums of money, and generous favors to the four low-income defendants led to accusations that the agency had engaged in entrapment.[1][2] On August 23, 2013, by a two-to-one vote, an appeal to overturn the convictions was denied by a Manhattan appeals court. Judge Jon O. Newman cited defendant James Cromitie's statements as proof of intent. In dissent, the Chief Judge Dennis Jacobs said there was scarce evidence of previous intent and that Cromitie was "badgered" into joining the plot. All three judges unanimously rejected the entrapment claims by the three other defendants and rejected all four defendants’ arguments that their convictions should be overturned on grounds of government misconduct.[7] In July 2023, Judge Colleen McMahon ordered the compassionate release of three of the conspirators, saying they had only participated because Cromitie promised to pay them.[8] In January 2024, McMahon also ordered the release of Cromitie, the last remaining defendant in prison.[9]
- ^ a b Harris, Paul (December 12, 2011). "Newburgh Four: poor, black, and jailed under FBI 'entrapment' tactics". The Guardian. Retrieved March 24, 2012.
- ^ a b Harris, Paul (March 20, 2012). "The ex-FBI informant with a change of heart: 'There is no real hunt. It's fixed'". The Guardian. Retrieved March 24, 2012.
- ^ Peter, Tom A. "New York terror plotters wanted to 'do jihad'". csmonitor.com. Archived from the original on May 24, 2009. Retrieved May 21, 2009.
- ^ Hernandez, Javier C.; Sewell Chan (May 21, 2009). "N.Y. Bomb Plot Suspects Acted Alone, Police Say". The New York Times. Archived from the original on July 24, 2014. Retrieved May 21, 2009.
- ^ Newman, Andy (October 9, 2018). "Limo Company Owner in Crash Revealed as F.B.I. Informant, Recruiter of Terrorists, Fraudster". The New York Times.
- ^ "Timeline: The Making of an FBI Superinformant".
- ^ Weiser, Benjamin (August 23, 2013). "Convictions in Synagogue Bombing Plot Upheld". The New York Times.
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