A 19-year-old from Montclair, New Jersey, named Thomas Jimenez Guzel, has been arrested in connection with a bombing case and is reportedly seeking a plea deal, according to new court documents.
Guzel, who has allegedly pledged allegiance to ISIS, was taken into custody on suspicion of planning to join the Middle East in order to establish a violent jihadist group, along with making threats against Jews and other non-Muslims.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Andre Espinosa has pushed the next trial date for Guzel to January 14, 2026. This delay seems to be aimed at finalizing discussions around a plea agreement that both Guzel and the prosecutors are interested in reaching.
Espinosa noted that both parties are looking for more time to negotiate a plea deal that could potentially eliminate the need for grand jury proceedings and a trial. He also stated that the complexity of the charges arises from a lengthy investigation, allowing the defense team to thoroughly review the evidence presented.
Government complaints detail around 60 pages of troubling group chats and discussions among the alleged jihadists, who talked about violent ambitions, including beheading “infidels” and orchestrating attacks reminiscent of the Boston bombings.
The 2013 Boston Marathon attacks resulted in three fatalities and over 260 injuries.
Both Guzel and another suspect, 19-year-old Milo Sedarat, share backgrounds from notable families in Montclair. Sedarat’s father is a well-known Iranian-American poet, and Guzel’s mother is a former UN diplomat who now leads a business organization.
The criminal complaint indicates that Sedarat expressed extreme anti-Semitic views, even criticizing his mother for having a Jewish friend, and suggested wanting to run down protesters at a pro-Israel event in Montclair.
Along with another suspect from Washington state, Saeed Ali Mireh, Guzel and Sedarat allegedly discussed traveling to Syria to form a jihadist group and engaging in violence against nonbelievers in online forums with individuals from several countries.
The charges against Guzel and Mireh include attempts and conspiracy to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization, which could lead to prison sentences of up to 40 years if found guilty. Sedarat faces two counts of communicating threats and may face up to 10 years in prison if convicted.
No comments have been made by the attorneys for any of the defendants as of Monday morning.
