Officials Nervous as New Year’s Eve Plots Exposed
Security officials around the country, particularly in the wake of the Islamist attacks in Paris and San Bernardino, are on edge as new reports suggest New Year’s Eve plots have been made.
Thursday morning, despite Homeland Security officials’ insistence that “no credible threats exist,” a 25-year-old man who planned a New Year’s Eve attack on a Rochester, N.Y., restaurant was arrested. Emanuel Lutchman has been charged with “attempting to provide material support” to ISIS, referred to as ISIL in official documents, which carries a penalty of up to 20 years in prison and $250,000 in fines.
The U.S. Department of Justice issued a statement regarding Lutchman’s arrest, which stated, in part:
“According to the complaint, as part of Emanuel Lutchman’s attempt to provide material support to ISIL, he planned to kill innocent civilians on New Year’s Eve in the name of the terrorist organization,” said Assistant Attorney General Carlin. “Thankfully, law enforcement was able to intervene and thwart Lutchman’s deadly plans.”
“This New Year’s Eve prosecution underscores the threat of ISIL even in upstate New York but demonstrates our determination to immediately stop any who would cause harm in its name,” said U.S. Attorney Hochul. “What began as an ISIL directive to harm the community ended with the arrest of this defendant and a message for any other individuals considering similar behavior—you will be caught, you will be prosecuted, and you will be punished. While law enforcement is well equipped for such investigations, the public is reminded to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activity. I assure members of the public that the excellent work of our law enforcement partners with the cooperation of the public is the best way to ensure the safety of our community.”
“The FBI thwarted Emanuel Lutchman’s intent to kill civilians on New Year’s Eve,” said Special Agent in Charge Cohen. “The FBI remains concerned about people overseas who use the Internet to inspire people in the United States to commit acts of violence where they live.”
According to court records, the defendant, claiming to receive direction from an overseas ISIL member, planned to commit an armed attack against civilians at a restaurant/bar located in the Rochester, New York, area today, New Year’s Eve on behalf of ISIL and in furtherance of his plan to join ISIL overseas.
The statement said the case is being investigated by the FBI’s Rochester Joint Terrorism Task Force.
Earlier in the day, former New York Police Commissioner Bernard Kerik told Newsmax TV’s Dennis Michael Lynch, host of The Hard Line, there continues to be a “credible threat” for violence not just in New York, but throughout the West. He said:
“That threat is very credible. We’ve seen it in Paris. We saw it recently in San Bernardino. We see continual attacks around the world. We’re going to continue to see those types of attacks. There is a credible threat on this country’ we have to be prepared …
“Here’s the reality: The bad guys want us to shut down Times Square, the bad guys want us not to do the fireworks and all this other stuff. The reality is if we live by their rules, we’ve got to hide in a bubble, and I’m not hiding in a bubble.”
Brussels shut down its New Year’s Eve celebrations over what it said was a credible threat to the event. Other cities have substantially increased the security presence for their events. In New York City, the number of police in Times Square will be more than double the presence on Dec. 31, 2001, a little more three months after the 9/11 attacks.
