New York, NY – Four Men Arrested in Plot to Bomb Synagogue

New York, NY – The FBI busted a homegrown terror cell late Wednesday night as the men sneaked around a Jewish temple in Riverdale planting what they thought was packages of C-4 explosives, sources told the Daily News.

The four African American men, three of whom were said to be jailhouse converts to Islam, also allegedly had what they believed was a working Stinger missile in their car.

Officials said they hoped to shoot down a plane at Stewart Air National Guard Base in Newburgh in Orange County.

Sources said the four men were arrested after a year-long investigation that began when an informant connected to a mosque in Newburg said he knew men who wanted to buy explosives.

FBI agents posing as militants sold them what they thought was 30 pounds of C-4 and a plane-downing Stinger missile.

The weaponry was all phony.

The men were arrested as they planted fake bombs in front of the Riverdale Temple in the Bronx and under cars parked in front of the synagogue.

They also allegedly planned to blow up a nearby Jewish Community Center.

Witnesses said an NYPD vehicle blocked a black SUV outside the temple and then officers broke in the windows and handcuffed the four men inside the car.

All four men were US-born.

Arrested was alleged ringleader James Cromitie of Newburgh, the son of an Afghan immigrant and his African American wife.

Cromitie served a long stretch in prison in the past.

Alleged henchment David Williams, Onta Williams and Leguerre Payen were busted with him.

Sources said the three were jailhouse converts to Islam.

The four alleged terrorists are expected to be arraigned Thursday in White Plains federal court.

“These guys were angry, they had intent and they were searching for capacity,” a senior federal law enforcement official told The News.

But, the official added, “It’s not exactly Al Qaeda.”

Rep. Peter King, R-N.Y., the ranking Republican on the House Homeland Security Committee, who was briefed on the bust earlier this week, told ABC News Radio the suspects were arrested tonight outside the temple and community center they hoped to bomb, with the inert explosives. “They purchased the C-4 from the FBI, they purchased the stinger missile from the FBI and they were there tonight with the car bombs outside the temple and the community center,” King said.

“If the FBI were not involved, this would have been an absolute tragedy,” he said. “This was a real plot, they were in the act of carrying it out tonight.”

New York City Police Chief Ray Kelly said no one was ever at risk, because the devices they allegedly believed were lethal had been supplied by the FBI.

The investigation of the men began in June 2008, according to court documents, when Cromitie met with a person who had been an FBI informant for more than six years and allegedly talked about his anger about U.S. forces in Afghanistan, and said he was interested in doing “something to America.”

In a recorded meeting between Cromitie and the informant on Dec. 5, 2008, according to the documents, the suspect allegedly asked the informant to get him surface-to-air missiles and explosives.

On May 6, according to the documents, Cromitie, David Williams and Payen drove with the informant from Newburgh to Stamford, Conn., where the three defendants were shown what they were told were a missile system and improvised explosive devices containing C-4 plastic explosives.

After inspecting the supposed weapons, they allegedly brought them back to Newburgh and put them in a storage locker, according to the documents.

“The three defendants celebrated their achievement shouting ‘Allah Akbar,’ an Arabic phrase which means, ‘praise be to God,'” according to the documents.

**UPDATE** 12:00 AM statement from Rabbi Jonathan Rosenblatt Of the Riverdale Jewish Center
Dear Friends,
You have doubtless heard on the news that our shul was targeted by terrorist bombers in a plot that the FBI, NYPD, and Department of Homeland Security were carefully monitoring from its inception. The bombs, which were supposed to be planted in front of the RJC and in front of the Riverdale Temple, were provided through FBI agents posing as representatives of a Pakistani terrorist organization. These armaments were inert and at no time was there any real danger. All of the suspects were apprehended. Police Commissioner Kelly and representatives of the FBI, NYPD, and Homeland Security came personally to the RJC to inform the community and to allay our fears. We are assured that although there is no residual danger, the 50th Precinct will be offering us special surveillance and protection. Our public officials have also come forward to assure their help in keeping the RJC secure.