4 charged in alleged synagogue bomb plot

NEW YORK, June 2 (UPI) -- Four men were indicted Tuesday on charges they plotted to bomb a synagogue and Jewish community center in New York City and shoot down military planes.

Federal prosecutors said the four allegedly planned to use Stinger surface-to-air guided missiles to shoot down planes flying out of the New York Air National Guard Base at Stewart Airport in Newburgh, N.Y. The synagogue and community center are in the Riverdale section of the Bronx.

The U.S. Justice Department said all four were arrested May 20 in the Bronx and appeared before a federal magistrate the next day. They are to be arraigned in White Plains, N.Y., Wednesday.

At the time the suspects were arrested, The New York Times reported police said they did not think the four men were being helped by terror groups. Police alleged the suspects had expressed a desire to wage jihad because of the armed conflicts taking place in Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Named in the eight-court indictment were James Cromitie, aka "Abdul Rahman" and aka "Abdul Rehman"; David Williams, aka "Daoud" and aka "DL"; Onta Williams, aka "Hamza"; and Laguerre Payen, aka "Amin" and aka "Almondo."

The bombs and missiles the four allegedly intended to use were fakes they unwittingly obtained from an FBI informant, police said.

Officials credited the arrests to the New York Joint Terrorism Task Force, which principally consists of FBI agents and New York City Police Department detectives; the New York State Police; and the United States Air Force Office of Special Investigations.