A 19-year-old Mississauga, Ont., man is awaiting sentencing after pleading guilty to terrorism offences in a 2016 plot to detonate bombs in New York City.
The charges against Abdulrahman El Bahnasawy were made public Friday when the U.S. Attorney’s Office (Southern District of New York) revealed the details of the plan that allegedly included detonating bombs in Times Square and in the New York subway system, as well as shootings at various concert venues.
According to the unsealed information, El Bahnasawy purchased bomb-making materials and helped secure a cabin within driving distance of the city for the purpose of building explosive devices.
Two others, Talha Haroon, a 19-year-old U.S. citizen living in Pakistan, and Russell Salic, a 37-year-old Philippine citizen, were also charged in connection with the alleged plot. The two were arrested outside of the U.S. and the hope, according to the release, is that they will be extradited to the U.S. for prosecution.
In an interview with CBC News, El Bahnasawy’s lawyer Sabrina Shroff stressed his young age and called him “vulnerable.”
“It’s a very difficult situation undoubtedly — not just for him but also for his entire family,” Shroff said.
‘These Americans need an attack’
El Bahnasawy, who has been in custody since his arrest by the FBI in May 2016, pleaded guilty on Oct. 13, 2016. He is the only one of the three to have pleaded guilty so far.
According to the allegations, El Bahnasawy and Haroon plotted to…