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Bomb Suspect Planned His Campaign for More Than Three Months, Court Papers Say Bomb Suspect Planned His Campaign for More Than Three Months, Court Papers Say
(about 1 hour later)
The man arrested in Florida last week in connection with the rash of crude pipe bombs sent to outspoken critics of President Trump had been planning his campaign for at least three months, and his laptop and cellphone are now providing investigators with a trove of fresh evidence, new court papers say.The man arrested in Florida last week in connection with the rash of crude pipe bombs sent to outspoken critics of President Trump had been planning his campaign for at least three months, and his laptop and cellphone are now providing investigators with a trove of fresh evidence, new court papers say.
The new papers were addressed to a judge in Miami where the suspect, Cesar A. Sayoc Jr., is set to appear this week at a bail hearing in which prosecutors are expected to ask a judge to detain him pending trial. In the filing, prosecutors in Manhattan asked that Mr. Sayoc be sent to New York City for prosecution and denied bail on the grounds that he poses a “substantial danger to the community and a significant risk of flight.” Describing the bomb spree as “a domestic terrorist attack,” prosecutors gave a glimpse into its origins. They wrote in the court papers that the laptop of the suspect, Cesar A. Sayoc Jr., had been used, as early as July, to draft a list of targets and scour the internet for information on some of them and their families.
After an intense, nationwide manhunt, Mr. Sayoc, a 56-year-old fan of Mr. Trump, was taken into custody on Friday in a parking lot in Plantation, Fla., near a white van in which he had apparently been living. The new court papers were addressed to a judge in Miami where Mr. Sayoc, 56, is set to appear this week at a bail hearing. Prosecutors in Manhattan are expected to ask a judge to detain him pending trial, and, in the filing, asked that Mr. Sayoc be sent to New York City for prosecution and denied bail on the grounds that he posed a “substantial danger to the community and a significant risk of flight.”
After an intense, nationwide manhunt, Mr. Sayoc, an ardent fan of Mr. Trump, was taken into custody on Friday in a parking lot in Plantation, Fla., near a white van in which he had apparently been living.
The van, which has been seized by the authorities, was plastered with pro-Trump stickers, some of which depicted Mr. Sayoc’s intended victims, including former President Barack Obama and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, marked with red rifle cross hairs.The van, which has been seized by the authorities, was plastered with pro-Trump stickers, some of which depicted Mr. Sayoc’s intended victims, including former President Barack Obama and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, marked with red rifle cross hairs.
According to the court papers, an analysis of metadata from Mr. Sayoc’s laptop and cellphone suggested they had been used to research for his bomb campaign as early as July, scour the internet for information on his victims and draft a target list on his laptop. A law enforcement official said this week that Mr. Sayoc had prepared a list of about 100 potential targets and the court documents noted that the F.B.I. was in the process of alerting each person found on it. A law enforcement official said this week that Mr. Sayoc had prepared a list of about 100 potential targets and the court documents noted that the F.B.I. was in the process of alerting each person found on it.
“Put simply,” the papers said, “only the defendant’s arrest and incapacitation resulting from his detention were sufficient to stop his attack.”“Put simply,” the papers said, “only the defendant’s arrest and incapacitation resulting from his detention were sufficient to stop his attack.”
The bombing campaign began mysteriously on Oct. 22, when the first device was found at the home of George Soros, the billionaire Democratic donor, in a suburb north of New York City, and continued in a rolling wave throughout last week, sowing fear and discord across the country just ahead of the coming midterm elections. The bomb campaign started mysteriously on Oct. 22, when the first device was found at the home of George Soros, the billionaire Democratic donor, in a suburb north of New York City, and continued in a rolling wave throughout last week, sowing fear and discord across the country just ahead of the coming midterm elections.
Prosecutors said at least 15 devices had been found so far — all of them in similar manila envelopes and with printed labels bearing the misspelled name and return address of Representative Debbie Wasserman Schultz, a Florida Democrat. Prosecutors said that at least 15 devices had been found so far — all of them in similar manila envelopes and with printed labels bearing the misspelled name and return address of Representative Debbie Wasserman Schultz, a Florida Democrat.
The devices were mailed to some of Mr. Trump’s most ardent critics and those who have been targets of his ire, including former Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr.; former Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr.; John O. Brennan, a former C.I.A. director; and the actor Robert De Niro. The devices were mailed to some of Mr. Trump’s most vocal critics and those who have been targets of his ire, including former Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr.; former Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr.; John O. Brennan, a former C.I.A. director; and the actor Robert De Niro. Federal officials have said that a fingerprint on one package addressed to Representative Maxine Waters, a California Democrat, led them to Mr. Sayoc. He has denied playing any role in the bombing campaign, a law enforcement official said.
Two central questions regarding the devices remain unanswered even five days after Mr. Sayoc’s arrest. Were they constructed in a way that would allow them to detonate on their own? And, if not, was that because Mr. Sayoc lacked skills as a bombmaker or because the devices were intended only to sow terror and division?Two central questions regarding the devices remain unanswered even five days after Mr. Sayoc’s arrest. Were they constructed in a way that would allow them to detonate on their own? And, if not, was that because Mr. Sayoc lacked skills as a bombmaker or because the devices were intended only to sow terror and division?
The new court papers reiterated what the authorities have already said: that the bombs, while crudely fashioned, were in fact dangerous. Prosecutors noted that many of them contained what they called “energetic material with explosive qualities” and that others were also packed with shards of glass “intended to maximize harm.”The new court papers reiterated what the authorities have already said: that the bombs, while crudely fashioned, were in fact dangerous. Prosecutors noted that many of them contained what they called “energetic material with explosive qualities” and that others were also packed with shards of glass “intended to maximize harm.”
The papers also indicated that Mr. Sayoc started hatching his campaign during the summer. On July 26, the papers said, he created a file on his laptop titled “Debbie W.docx” that contained several copies of Ms. Wasserman Schultz’s address in Sunrise, Fla., that eventually appeared on the packages he sent. Other files on the laptop, created on Sept. 22, were used to print the mailing labels on the devices delivered to Mr. Sayoc’s victims, the papers said.The papers also indicated that Mr. Sayoc started hatching his campaign during the summer. On July 26, the papers said, he created a file on his laptop titled “Debbie W.docx” that contained several copies of Ms. Wasserman Schultz’s address in Sunrise, Fla., that eventually appeared on the packages he sent. Other files on the laptop, created on Sept. 22, were used to print the mailing labels on the devices delivered to Mr. Sayoc’s victims, the papers said.
Prosecutors added that internet records found on Mr. Sayoc’s laptop showed that he had been conducting chilling research on several of his targets and their families for months. On July 15, for instance, Mr. Sayoc searched for the words “hilary Clinton hime address,” the papers said. Two months later, he searched for the words “address for barack Obama.”Prosecutors added that internet records found on Mr. Sayoc’s laptop showed that he had been conducting chilling research on several of his targets and their families for months. On July 15, for instance, Mr. Sayoc searched for the words “hilary Clinton hime address,” the papers said. Two months later, he searched for the words “address for barack Obama.”
There were further searches, the papers said, for “eric holder wife and kids” and “john brennan wife and kids.”There were further searches, the papers said, for “eric holder wife and kids” and “john brennan wife and kids.”
Mr. Sayoc has already been charged with illegally mailing explosives and four other counts. If convicted on those charges, he faces up to 48 years in prison. Investigators also found photos on Mr. Sayoc’s cellphone downloaded from the internet of Mr. Soros, what seemed to be Mr. Obama’s home and a driver’s license belonging to former first lady Michelle Obama.
Mr. Sayoc has already been charged in New York with illegally mailing explosives and four other counts. If convicted on those charges, he faces up to 48 years in prison.
But in their papers, prosecutors said he was likely to face “additional charges and increased penalties.”But in their papers, prosecutors said he was likely to face “additional charges and increased penalties.”