(Bloomberg) — Federal and New York City authorities this week arrested a man they say planned to detonate a bomb on Staten Island, where a pro-Palestinian activist lives, the latest in a string of politically motivated violence in the city.
Alexander Heifler was taken into custody Thursday following a joint FBI-NYPD investigation into an alleged plot targeting Nerdeen Kiswani, co-founder of Within Our Lifetime, according to a person familiar with the matter.
The case grew out of an undercover operation by the NYPD Intelligence Bureau’s Racially and Ethnically Motivated Extremism Unit, where an investigator in February penetrated an online group chat that included individuals holding far-right and extremist views, according to a person who declined to be identified discussing confidential matters.
The arrests come at a time of heightened concern about politically and ideologically motivated threats in New York. Earlier this month, federal prosecutors indicted two men accused of bringing improvised explosive devices to a protest outside the mayor’s residence in what officials described as an ISIS-inspired attack.
Heifler floated the idea of using a Molotov cocktail during the Feb. 10 exchange and later acknowledged in the report that he should have avoided the term, according to the federal criminal complaint. The undercover officer encouraged him to continue the discussion offline, and the two met in person the following day, where Heifler detailed plans to attack Kiswani’s home.
During that meeting, Heifler said he already had an address and outlined a plan to carry out the attack shortly before leaving the country, initially targeting late April and later moving the timeline to mid-May, according to the complaint. He also suggested using a car with fake license plates and avoiding phones or identification to limit detection, the complaint said.
Heifler was charged with unlawful possession of Molotov cocktails, according to a complaint filed in federal court in New Jersey. The court file did not provide information for Heifler’s defense attorney.
The case is United States v. Heifler, 26-mj-15052. U.S. District Court, District of New Jersey (Newark).
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