Two armed males arrested on Saturday at Penn Station over an alleged antisemitic attack had been arraigned this weekend on a number of costs – each for criminally possessing weapons, and one for terrorism-related costs. They had been linked to on-line posts threatening an attack on a Manhattan synagogue, in accordance to Alvin Bragg, the Manhattan district lawyer.
(*2*) Bragg mentioned in an announcement. “[My] office will now pursue accountability and justice in this case with the full resources of our counter-terrorism program and recently enhanced and expanded hate crimes unit.”
Following the arrests, the New York Police Division and Gov. Kathy Hochul mentioned they had been ramping up efforts to fight hate crimes all through town and state.
Native police division commanders have been deployed at “sensitive” areas all through town, NYPD Commissioner Keechant Sewell mentioned. Hochul has additionally directed New York State police to improve surveillance and safety of communities in danger of hate crimes, including that the transfer additionally follows a mass capturing at a homosexual nightclub in Colorado.
Hochul mentioned the state police counter terrorism intelligence unit is reaching out to LGBTQ communities, synagogues, and different Jewish areas all through the state. The company is in contact with the NYPD and can proceed to monitor social media for potential threats.
“We are in contact with members of Jewish organizations and synagogues and others to let them know, once again, we understand the concern, the fear, hate crime is real,” she mentioned in a speech on Sunday. “And that the state of New York is taking every step possible to be in the business of preventing crimes and preventing instances and not just waiting to solve them in the aftermath.
Federal, state and local police collaborated to arrest the two armed men Saturday morning at Penn Station, after learning of the threat on Friday, police said. The arrest involved MTA police, state police, the NYPD, and the FBI-NYPD joint terrorism task force.
The arrested men were carrying an 8” army type knife, a Glock firearm, and high-capacity ammunition, and a 30-round journal of ammunition, police and prosecutors mentioned.
Matthew Mahrer, 22, and Christopher Brown, 21, had been charged this weekend with legal possession of a loaded firearm with the intent to use it unlawfully in opposition to one other particular person, in accordance to courtroom paperwork offered by the Manhattan district lawyer’s workplace.
Brown, who was discovered with a Swastika arm patch, was additionally charged with making a terroristic risk and possessing a weapon “as a crime of terrorism.” Brown advised police that he operated a white supremacist Twitter group and that he owned the Twitter deal with @VrilGod that posted alleged threats, the legal criticism exhibits.
“It was my Twitter account,” he mentioned in an announcement to police on Saturday. “I have a sick personality. I was going to be a coward and blow my brains out with it.”
On Saturday Nov. 12, Twitter person “VrilGod” posted that “Big moves” had been being made on Friday, the criticism says. Final Thursday, the person posted, “Gonna ask a Priest if I should become a husband or shoot up a synagogue and die.” And the following day: “This time I’m really gonna do it.”
Brown was denied bail. The courtroom set bail for Mahrer at $150,000 money or a $300,000 bond.
Attorneys for Brown and Mahrer didn’t instantly reply to requests for remark.