4 arrested in alleged NYC synagogue bomb plot

Three of the four men arrested for allegedly planning bomb attacks on Jewish targets in New York are expected to appear in federal court Thursday, the U.S. attorney's office said.

The group allegedly plotted to bomb two New York synagogues and wanted to use surface-to-air missiles to fire at U.S. military planes, said a criminal complaint filed this week in White Plains, New York.

"Four individuals were arrested for planting bombs in front of two [Jewish facilities] in the area," said Raymond Kelly, New York City police commissioner.

The charges are based on information from an FBI informant, with whom the men met as they plotted to carry out their attacks, authorities said. While the weapons provided to the defendants by the cooperating witness were fake, the defendants thought they were absolutely real," acting U.S. Attorney Lev L. Dassin said in a statement.

Added Kelly: "The bombs had been made by FBI technicians. They were totally inert; no one was ever at risk or in danger of being injured."

Suspects James Cromitie, David Williams and Onta Williams -- all U.S. citizens -- were at the federal courthouse Thursday morning being processed, FBI spokeswoman Monica McLean told CNN.

The fourth suspect, Haitian citizen Laguerre Payen, is not at the courthouse but was undergoing "appropriate medical treatment (Deprogramming)," McLean said. She did not know for what condition or where Payen was being treated, but said he would appear before a judge "as soon as he is able to."

The charges against the men include conspiracy to use weapons of mass destruction in the United States and conspiracy to acquire and use anti-aircraft missiles. The charges carry a maximum sentence of life in prison.

The four men were arrested Wednesday after they had planted the fake bombs at the synagogue in the Riverdale section of the Bronx, New York, authorities said.

The NYPD used an 18-wheeler truck to block their getaway, then punched out the tinted windows on their sport-utility vehicle before dragging the suspects onto the street, said Kelly.

The U.S. attorney's statement said the informant met with Cromitie in June 2008 in Newburgh, New York.

During that meeting, Cromitie allegedly said his parents live in Afghanistan, that he was angry over the U.S. war there, and that he was interested "doing something to America."

The four men began meeting with the informant at a home equipped with concealed video and audio equipment, plotting to bomb the synagogue and Jewish community center, the statement said. Watch suspects' possible motivation »

They also conducted surveillance, including photographs, of an Air National Guard base where they wanted to blow up planes, the statement said. The informant provided the men with a surface-to-air guided missile and C-4 plastic explosives -- none of which could actually be used.

"The targeting of any house of prayer in the United States is a threat to all religious groups and all religious leaders have an obligation to speak out publicly against this planned outrage," said a statement from the Simon Wiesenthal Center, a Jewish human rights group

The group urged all Jewish institutions to tighten security at their facilities.

New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, in a written statement, congratulated the law enforcement agencies that made the arrests.

"While the bombs these terrorists attempted to plant tonight were -- unbeknownst to them -- fake, this latest attempt to attack our freedoms shows that the homeland security threats against New York City are sadly all too real and underscores why we must remain vigilant in our efforts to prevent terrorism," he said.

"This case clearly illustrates that the threat of terrorism in New York is persistent," said Gov. David Paterson. "The threat of terrorism affects all of our communities, regardless of race, religion, or ethnicity."