Jeff Sessions, the Attorney General of the United States, Joon H. Kim, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Dana J. Boente, Acting Assistant Attorney General for National Security, William F. Sweeney, Jr., Assistant Director-in-Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), and James P. O’Neill, the Commissioner of the Police Department for the City of New York (“NYPD”), announced that a grand jury in the Southern District of New York has returned a 22-count indictment (the “Indictment”) against SAYFULLO HABIBULLAEVIC SAIPOV in connection with SAIPOV’s alleged terrorist attack in lower Manhattan on October 31, 2017, which killed eight people and injured 12 more. The Indictment charges SAIPOV with eight counts of murder in aid of racketeering, 12 counts of attempted murder in aid of racketeering, one count of providing and attempting to provide material support to the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (“ISIS”), and one count of violence and destruction of a motor vehicle. The case has been assigned to U.S. District Judge Vernon S. Broderick.
SAIPOV was initially arrested on a Complaint and presented before the Honorable Barbara Moses on November 1, 2017. He was ordered detained and has been in federal custody since his arrest.
Attorney General Jeff Sessions said: “As alleged in this indictment, Sayfullo Saipov murdered eight innocent people and injured many more in a calculated act of terrorism in the heart of one of our great cities. People have a right to safety walking down a sidewalk or riding a bike, and we will not change our resolve to confront these threats both at home and abroad. I am especially proud today of the law enforcement officers who acted quickly and courageously to respond and to protect people from further harm. We continue to offer our assistance, our support and our prayers to the victims of this attack and to all the people of New York City.”
Acting U.S. Attorney Joon H. Kim said: “Consumed by hate and a twisted ideology, Sayfullo Saipov allegedly barreled down a pedestrian walkway and bicycle path on a sunny afternoon on the West Side of Manhattan, killing eight innocent people and injuring at least a dozen others. As the scores of videos and images on his cellphone showed, Saipov’s depraved use of a rental truck as a weapon of terror was allegedly in support of the terrorist organization ISIS. As of today, Saipov stands indicted of material support of terrorism, as well as eight counts of murder and 12 counts of attempted murder in aid of racketeering. Like many terrorists before him, Saipov will now face justice in an American court. And like New York City’s response to his alleged attack, we expect that justice in this case will be swift, firm, and resolute.”
FBI Assistant Director William F. Sweeney Jr. said: “When Sayfullo Saipov carried out his brutal attack last month, his intentions were to inflict significant damage, death and injury to innocent victims and terrorize this city. We announce today’s indictment with the understanding that nothing can ever reverse the unfortunate events of that day, or alleviate the pain and sorrow of the victims’ families. Today’s indictment should be a signal though that the rule of law will always prevail and we are dedicated to holding this perpetrator and anyone else who threatens to disrupt our most basic freedoms accountable for their criminal actions.”
As alleged in the Indictment and the Complaint:[1]
Islamic State of Iraq and Al-Sham
ISIS is a foreign terrorist organization based in the Middle East and Africa whose publicly stated purpose is the establishment of an Islamic state or caliphate based in the Middle East and Africa that encompasses all Muslims worldwide. ISIS has pursued the objective of an Islamic state through, among other things, killing and deliberate targeting of civilians, mass executions, persecution of individuals and communities on the basis of their religion, nationality, or ethnicity, kidnapping of civilians, forced displacement of Shia communities and minority groups, killing and maiming of children, rape, and other forms of sexual violence. ISIS has recruited thousands of foreign fighters from across the globe to assist with its efforts to expand its so-called caliphate in Iraq, Syria, and other locations in Africa and the Middle East, and has leveraged technology to spread its violent extremist ideology and for incitement to commit terrorist acts.
ISIS, including its leadership, membership, and associates, constitutes an “enterprise,” as that term is defined in Title 18, United States Code, Section 1959(b)(2) – that is, a group of individuals associated in fact, although not a legal entity, which is engaged in, and the activities of which affect, interstate and foreign commerce. ISIS members and associates make and have made public statements and issued public declarations, which, among other things: (i) proclaimed and acknowledged acts of violence had been committed by ISIS; (ii) threatened future acts of violence if ISIS’s demands were not met; and (iii) were intended to promote and foster the prestige and standing of ISIS. ISIS has specifically distributed propaganda designed to encourage ISIS followers to commit acts of violence using vehicles as weapons.
The October 31, 2017, Truck Attack
On October 31, 2017, at approximately 3:00 p.m., SAIPOV drove a rented flatbed truck (the “Truck”) from New Jersey over the George Washington Bridge into New York City. After SAIPOV entered New York City, he proceeded in the Truck to the West Side Highway and began traveling southbound. Once SAIPOV was in the vicinity of Houston Street in Manhattan, he drove the Truck onto the bike lane and pedestrian walkway of the West Side Highway. SAIPOV then drove down the walkway for several blocks, striking numerous civilians. SAIPOV eventually collided with a school bus, which was carrying occupants in the vicinity of West Street and Chambers Street, at which point the Truck came to a halt.
After SAIPOV collided with the school bus, he exited the driver’s door of the Truck with two objects in his hands that appeared to be firearms. Moments after SAIPOV got out of the Truck, he yelled, in substance and in part, “Allahu Akbar,” which is an Arabic phrase that translates to “God is Great.”
SAIPOV was shot by a law enforcement officer and taken into custody. Law enforcement officers subsequently recovered in the vicinity of the Truck, among other things, a paintball gun, a pellet gun, a stun gun, and three knives. Law enforcement officers also recovered, approximately ten feet from the driver’s door of the Truck, a document that contained, among other things, the Arabic text for “No God but God and Muhammad is his Prophet” and “Islamic Supplication. It will endure.” “It will endure” is commonly used to refer to ISIS. Cellphones recovered from the Truck contained, among other things, videos and images of ISIS propaganda, and internet searches for truck rentals and for Halloween in New York City.
After SAIPOV was taken into custody, he was transferred to Bellevue Hospital, where he made statements to law enforcement officers after waiving his Miranda rights. During that interview, SAIPOV stated, among other things, the following:
- SAIPOV was inspired to carry out the Truck attack by ISIS videos he had watched on his cellular phone.
- Approximately one year ago, SAIPOV began planning an attack in the United States. Approximately two months ago, he decided to use a truck to inflict maximum damage against civilians. On or about October 22, 2017, SAIPOV rented a truck so he could practice making turns in advance of his attack.
- SAIPOV planned to use the Truck to strike pedestrians in the vicinity of the West Side Highway and then proceed to the Brooklyn Bridge to continue to strike pedestrians. SAIPOV wanted to kill as many people as he could. SAIPOV chose October 31, Halloween, for the attack because he believed there would be more civilians on the street for the holiday.
- SAIPOV wanted to display ISIS flags in the front and back of the Truck during the attack, but decided against it because he did not want to draw attention to himself. SAIPOV requested to display ISIS’s flag in his hospital room and stated that he felt good about what he had done.Eight individuals died from the injuries they sustained as a result of the Truck driving on the walkway and at least 12 additional individuals were injured.
SAIPOV, 29, of Paterson, New Jersey, was initially arrested by the NYPD on October 31, 2017. A chart containing the charges and maximum penalties against SAIPOV is set forth below. The maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by a judge.
Mr. Kim, Attorney General Sessions, and Mr. Boente praised the outstanding investigative efforts of the FBI, the NYPD, and the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations (“HSI”). SAIPOV’s arrest is the result of the close cooperative efforts of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York, the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force – which consists of law enforcement officers of the FBI, NYPD, HSI, and other agencies – and the U.S. Department of Justice’s National Security Division. Mr. Kim also thanked the U.S. Department of Justice’s Organized Crime and Gang Section, Office of Enforcement Operations, and Capital Case Section for their exceptional assistance.
The charges contained in the Indictment are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the texts of the Indictment and the Complaint, and the descriptions of the Indictment and the Complaint set forth herein, constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.
COUNT
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CHARGES
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MAXIMUM PENALTIES ON EACH COUNT
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1-8
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Murder in Aid of Racketeering
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Life in prison or death
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9-20
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Attempted Murder in Aid of Racketeering
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10 years in prison
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21
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Providing and Attempting to Provide Material Support to a Designated Foreign Terrorist Organization
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Life in prison
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