AJC Welcomes Conviction of Four for Synagogue Bombing Plot

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Oct 18, 2010, 06:19 ET

NEW YORK, Oct. 18 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- AJC welcomed today's conviction in a federal court of four men who had planned to bomb two Jewish institutions in New York City and a nearby military airbase.

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"Homegrown terrorism is a threat that our society must monitor and confront," said AJC Executive Director David Harris. "We commend law enforcement for their vigilance in apprehending terrorists who seek to strike in the U.S., and to catch them before committing violence."

In May 2009, the New York Police Department and FBI arrested James Cromitie, Laguerre Payen, David Williams, and Onta Williams. They had plotted to bomb the Riverdale Temple and the Riverdale Jewish Center in the Bronx, and also attack military planes at an Air National Guard base at Stewart Airport in Newburgh, N.Y.

Three of the men, who converted to Islam while serving in prison for other crimes, are U.S. citizens. The fourth is Haitian. All could face life in prison.

SOURCE American Jewish Committee