Happy Mother's Day

 

My Philly Daily Crime Beat Column On The Late Judge Anthony J. DeFino Honored With South Philly Street Renaming

Philly Daily ran my Crime Beat column today on the renaming of South 20^th Street for the late Judge Anthony J. DeFino.

You can read the column via the link below or the following text:

 Davis: Late Judge Anthony J. DeFino honored with South Philly street name - Philly Daily

It has been said that both assistant district attorneys and defense attorneys liked appearing before Judge Anthony J. DeFino. Even the defendants he put away for 40 or 50 years liked him. Now, that is a tribute to a jurist.

The late judge lived in a fine old house in the Girard Estate historic district in South Philadelphia. I live nearby and as we both went for daily walks through the neighborhood, I often came across him in the years before he died. He was a friendly and gregarious man, and he stopped to talk to everyone in his path, including me 

He read my weekly newspaper column in the old South Philadelphia American, and he would sometimes praise the column and other times he would mock it – but with humor, not rancor. I asked to interview him for the column, but he waved me off, stating modestly that he had nothing to say. 

Tragically, he died in a fire in his home in 2013 when he was 86.

On May 1, the Philadelphia City Council honored the late judge by renaming South 20th Street between Porter Street and Shunk Street where he lived in South Philadelphia as “Judge Anthony J. DeFino Way.” 

The designation recognizes his decades of committed service to Philadelphia’s judicial system and his status as a lifelong South Philadelphian.  

Judge DeFino served on the bench of the Philadelphia County Court of Common Pleas for nineteen years before retiring in 2007. He received the Thurgood Marshall Award in 2001 for improving standards of justice in Philadelphia and Pennsylvania courts, and the Cesare Beccaria Award in 2008 for contributions to justice and legal education.

I attended the street renaming ceremony on 20th Street. Council President and 2nd District Councilman President Kenyatta Johnson (seen in the above photo with the DeFino family) served as the Master of Ceremonies before more than 100 people, including retired and current judges, attorneys, politicians and friends, neighbors, and the family of Judge DeFino.

Speakers praising the judge’s life and legacy were Philadelphia Democratic Party Chairman Bob Brady, Kevin M. Dougherty, a Justice of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia 1st District Councilman Mark Squilla, and Jody Della Barba of the Girard Estate Association, who suggested the street renaming to Council President Johnson. Also speaking about the late judge were his daughter, Judge Rose Marie DeFina, two of his sons, attorneys Michael and Vincent DeFino, and three of his grandsons.    

“I was blessed a long time ago as an assistant DA to be assigned to his honor’s courtroom,” said Justice Dougherty. “There is not a day that I don’t think of Room 254 City Hall without a smile. I spent maybe three years with his honor and through that time, each day and every day, I would walk into the courtroom, and he would be standing in his black robe on top of the bench with his arms crossed going, “What can I do for you today, Dougherty?”    

“We are here today to not only salute his legal acumen, or the many lives he helped change in Philadelphia,” said Dougherty. “We are here today to give a tribute to a man, a husband and a father.” 

His grandson, Vincent Anthony DeFino Jr., spoke fondly of his late grandfather.

“I’m standing here today as the proud grandson of Judge Anthony J. DeFino and the son of his youngest child, Vincent Anthony DeFino Sr., the baby of his eight children. Grandpop was a South Philly kid through and through. He grew up on East Passyunk Avenue, served in the Army, worked his way through Temple Law School, and spent over 50 years in the courtroom as a lawyer and later as a respected Common Pleas Judge who handled some of the city’s toughest criminal cases. 

“But what we remember most is the man behind the robe. The guy who never forgot where he came from, who lit up every room with that big South Philly smile, and he taught every one of his 20 grandchildren that fairness, hard work, and kindness are what really matters. So today when the 2500 block of South 20th Street officially becomes ‘Judge Anthony J. DeFino Way,’ it feels like the City is simply putting his name where his heart always lived.

“Grandpop, we miss you every day, but your legacy of justice, humility and love now has a permanent home here in the neighborhood that you cherished.” 

Paul Davis’s Crime Beat column appears here weekly. He is also a frequent contributor to Broad + Liberty and Counterterrorism magazine. He can be reached at pauldavisoncrime.com.

Note: You can read my other Philly Daily Crime Beat columns via the link below:

 Paul Davis On Crime: My Philly Daily Crime Beat Columns                                                                                                         

Indictment Charges Cole Tomas Allen With Attempt To Assassinate The President And Assault On A Federal Officer With A Deadly Weapon

The U.S. Justice Department released the information below:

WASHINGTON - A four-count Indictment was issued in U.S. District Court today charging Cole Tomas Allen, 31, with Attempt to Assassinate the President of the United States, Donald J. Trump, in connection with the April 25 shooting during the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner at the Washington Hilton, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.   

The Indictment returned by the federal grand jury also charges Allen, of Torrance, California, with Assaulting an Officer or Employee of the United States with a Deadly Weapon, with Transportation of a Firearm and Ammunition in Interstate Commerce with the Intent to Commit a Felony, and with Discharging a Firearm During a Crime of Violence.   

“Today’s indictment underscores a simple truth: there is evidence this defendant intended to assassinate the president, and that he shot a U.S. Secret Service officer after he traversed the country with a cache of ammunition to accomplish his goals,” said U.S. Attorney Pirro. “I commend our law enforcement partners for their swift action to neutralize this threat and prevent the death of the President. The use of violence to register dissent is anti-democratic at its core. We will pursue the maximum punishment available under the law against anyone who travels to the District of Columbia to engage in such acts.” 

“As alleged in today’s indictment, the heavily armed defendant rushed security and shot a Secret Service Officer in an attempt to assassinate President Trump— but was stopped thanks to the courageous and immediate response from law enforcement,” said Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche. “Under the leadership of President Trump, violent political actors will never win— we will prosecute anyone who engages in these horrific acts to the fullest extent of the law.” 

“The facts of this case are clear - Cole Allen traveled to Washington D.C. attempting to assassinate President Trump and senior members of his administration, and attacked federal law enforcement in the process - only stopped by brave security personnel who stood in the way,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “We are grateful to our interagency partners for working with us in the investigation to add this additional charge. This FBI has been working 24/7 on this case since the night of the attack, and we will continue to do so until justice is done.” 

The 2026 Dinner took place on April 25, 2026, at the Washington Hilton. President Trump was present at the Dinner. Shortly after 8:30 p.m., the defendant approached a U.S. Secret Service (USSS) security screening checkpoint located on the Terrace Level of the hotel and sprinted through one of the magnetometers at the checkpoint and ran in the direction of the stairs leading to the ballroom where the President was located.   

As the defendant did so, he fired a Mossberg Maverick 88 12-gauge pump-action shotgun, hitting a USSS officer once in the chest. The USSS officer drew his service weapon and fired five times at the defendant. The defendant fell to the ground, was restrained by law enforcement, and was placed under arrest. The defendant suffered a minor injury to his knee but was not shot.   

At the time of his arrest, the defendant was in possession of the Mossberg shotgun with one spent cartridge in the barrel. The defendant also possessed a Rock Island Armory 1911 .38 caliber pistol, dozens of rounds of unspent 12-gauge shotgun ammunition and .38 caliber ammunition, two knives, four daggers, multiple sheaths, multiple holsters, needle nose pliers, and wire cutters. 

This investigation is being conducted by the FBI Washington Field Office and the Metropolitan Police Department. The matter is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jocelyn Ballantine, Charles Jones, and Adam Barry of the National Security Section for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.                                                                                                

My On Crime Fiction, True Crime & Thrillers Column: My Q&A With Mark Lee Gardner, Author Of 'Brothers Of The Gun: Wyatt Earp, Doc Holliday, And The reckoning In Tombstone'

I have long been interested in Wyatt Earp and Doc Holliday, having watched as a young boy the old TV show with Hugh O’Brian as Wyatt Earp, and later watching John Ford's great film, My Darling Clemintine and other films based loosely on the legendary lawman and the famous gunfight at the OK Corral. 

The 1993 film Tombstone with Kurt Russel and Val Kilmer is one of my favorite films, and I’ve watched it many times.  

I began reading about Earp and Holliday and other books about the history of the Wild West as a teenager and I still read them to this day. 

One fine book I recently read about Earp and Holliday is Mark Lee Gardner’s Brothers of the Gun: Wyatt Earp, Doc Holliday, and the Reckoning in Tombstone.        

I reached out to Mark Lee Gardner (seen in the above photo) and asked him why he wrote the book. 

Gardner: No previous book had focused on the friendship between Wyatt and Doc, nor had they been the subject of a dual biography. The biggest moments in their lives occurred when they were together, be it Dodge City or Tombstone, and you simply can’t tell the story of either individual without talking about the other. 

How did you research the book? 

Gardner: I seek out both primary archival sources and the locales where my protagonists spent time. This entailed research trips to Iowa, Missouri, Arizona, and California. I also strive to find sources that either haven’t been used before or were poorly used by previous historians: letters, diaries, contemporary newspaper accounts, etc. I never write books by only reading other books (that’s what AI does), and you’ll never find me quoting another historian in my books. I provide my own perspective/interpretation based on the primary sources available to me. 

How would you describe Wyatt Earp? 

Gardner: Tall, mild-mannered, not known to brag, ambitious, rarely drank liquor, exceptional lawman, accomplished professional gambler, ladies’ man, and an extremely brave individual. Fellow lawman Bat Masterson wrote that Wyatt was “one of the few men I personally knew in the West in the early days whom I regarded as absolutely destitute of fear.” 

How would you describe Doc Holliday?

Gardner: Like Wyatt, also mild-mannered or quiet – except when drinking, at which time he could be hot-headed, quarrelsome, and dangerous. Always a sharp dresser and a gentleman to ladies. He suffered from tuberculosis for years, which finally took him at the young age of 36. An only child, he looked upon the Earps as the brothers he never had, especially Wyatt. “Doc’s whole heart and soul was wrapped up in Wyatt Earp,” wrote Bat Masterson, “and he was always ready to stake his life in defense of any cause in which Wyatt was interested.” 

Why were these two very different men fast friends? 

Gardner; According to Wyatt, their friendship began in Dodge City in August 1878, when Doc, a revolver in each hand, saved Wyatt from a crowd of cowboys about to do him deadly harm. Wyatt firmly believed that Doc saved his life. “It was because of this episode,” Wyatt explained years later, “that I became the friend of Doc Holliday ever after.” 

What was Tombstone like during the Wyatt Earp era?

Gardner: A true boomtown: exciting, violent, and corrupt with saloons and gambling halls open day and night. Silver mining was the economic driver of the town, and despite its remoteness, any number of delicacies were readily available to its inhabitants, from fresh oysters to the best cigars to the finest wines and champagnes.

Why has the story of Wyatt Earp and Doc Holiday continued to fascinate readers and film goers after all these years?

Gardner: Put simply, it’s an incredible tale featuring larger-than-life characters, the Old West’s most famous and unusual friendship, and the greatest gunfight of all time.

Do you have a favorite film about Wyatt Earp and Doc Holiday? If so, why is the film your favorite?

Gardner: I think it must be Tombstone (1993), with Kurt Russell and Val Kilmer playing Wyatt and Doc. I believe it’s the best at conveying the depth of their friendship, although the film, like most about the O.K. Corral gunfight, fails to explain the origins of that friendship. Val Kilmer’s portrayal of Doc is truly memorable. But let’s not forget Dennis Quaid’s Doc in the Kevin Costner’s film Wyatt Earp (1994), which was alsPaul Davis On Crime: My On Crime Fiction, True Crime & Thrillers Columnso quite impressive.

Please tell us about your background and career. 

Gardner: I was born and raised in Missouri and spent my summers during college and graduate school as a National Park Service seasonal ranger at Bent’s Old Fort National Historic Site, Colorado, and Harpers Ferry National Historical Park, West Virginia. I next worked as a historic site administrator on the Santa Fe Trail in Trinidad, Colorado. I’ve since published several books on iconic Westerners, from Billy the Kid to Jesse James to Sitting Bull. In addition to my writing, I’m also a professional musician specializing in the historic music of the Old West. My most recent album is Outlaws: Songs of Robbers, Rustlers, and Rogues, available on Spotify and other streaming apps.

Thank you for speaking to us. 

Brothers of the Gun is published by Dutton. 

Note: You can read m other columns via the link below:

Paul Davis On Crime: My On Crime Fiction, True Crime & Thrillers Columns

My Crime Fiction: 'The Face'

Below is another chapter of my crime novel in progress.  

You can read the first five chapters via the links below:

Paul Davis On Crime: My Crime Fiction: 'The Rigano Murders'

Paul Davis On Crime: My Crime Fiction: 'From South Philly To Sicily'

Paul Davis On Crime: My Crime Fiction: 'Salvie Shotgun'

Paul Davis On Crime: My Crime Fiction: 'Nick The Broker'

Paul Davis On Crime: My Crime Fiction: 'Upton "Uppercut" Clarke'

The story originally appeared in American Crime Magazine.

The Face

By Paul Davis

I live in a fine old house in the historic district of Girard Estate in South Philadelphia. 

I love the predominantly Italian American neighborhood, with its semi-attached homes with porches, tree-lined wide streets (wide by South Philly standards), its friendly and earthy neighbors, its parks, churches, restaurants, bars, and Italian delis. 

I take a long walk each day through the neighborhood. I enjoy walking the streets and visiting the nearby park. My dog died some years back, so I take my cigar for a walk. I often stop and speak to neighbors and to people who recognize me from the photo that accompanies my newspaper column.    

I covered my initial interviews with Salvatore Stillitano, once known as “Salvie Shotgun,” a “Mafia Prince” turned government cooperating witness, in my crime column in the local paper. Stillitano was pleased with the columns, which we agreed that I would eventually compile into a book.

For this interview session, Stillitano met me at a small Italian restaurant in Girard Estate for lunch. I had Chicken Parmesan, a favorite meal of mine, and he had mussels in red gravy. We made small talk while we ate.

Stillitano, 74, was tall and muscular with a slight protruding belly. He had curly gray hair and coarse features, unlike his late father’s classical handsome features. But the son had the same cold, black protruding eyes as his infamous father, Nunzio “Nick the Broker” Stillitano, a caporegime in the Philadelphia Cosa Nostra organized crime family and the overseas representative of the National Cosa Nostra Commission.       

It was a beautiful spring afternoon, so after we ate, Stillitano suggested we do a “walk & talk,” an old Cosa Nostra way of discussing mob business while walking the streets to avoid planted FBI wiretaps in the mob clubhouses. I agreed and I turned on the voice recorder on my cell phone and placed it in in my shirt’s breast pocket.

Stillitano pulled out two medium-sized Cohiba cigars, and using a silver cigar cutter, he clipped the tips of the two cigars and handed me one. He then reached into his pants pocket and withdrew a box of small stick matches. He lit my cigar and then lit his cigar.

We smoked the fine cigars as we walked around the outside of the small Girard Estate Park, which was once the farmhouse of Stephen Girard, the financer of the War of 1812. We walked around the outside of the park as smoking in the park was prohibited by the city. Curiously, dogs can do their business in the park, but one can’t smoke there. 

Across the street from the park was the former home of the late Philadelphia Cosa Nostra boss, Philip “Chicken Man” Testa, who became boss after the murder of Angelo Bruno. A nail bomb exploded on the porch of the home in 1981 and brutally killed Testa. We talked about the murder as we walked across the street from the house.

Salvatore Stillitano, who confessed to the government that he murdered seven men while a member of Cosa Nostra, spoke of his return to the Catholic Church during his time in the witness protection program. He befriended a local priest, confessed his sins, including murders, and prayed for Jesus Christ to forgive him.

“I know you’re a cynical guy, a reporter and a South Philly street guy, so you probably think this is a scam, but my faith is the real thing,” Stillitano said. “Believe me or not, my faith is strong, and I know, I just know, that Jesus has forgiven me.

"Part of my penance is telling the world, especially my daughter and grandson, about this evil tradition of crime.”    

During our walk around the park, Stillitano spoke of his father’s Cosa Nostra rival, Carmine “Big Carmine” Polina, the boss of the New York Gambone crime family, and a Cosa Nostra Commission member.

Polina wanted to take over Stillitano’s New Jersey operations, as he considered Stillitano an absentee landlord with Nick Stillitano often working in Sicily brokering deals for the Commission under orders from Philadelphia Cosa Nostra boss Angelo Bruno and Luigi “Lupo” Bonfiglio, the boss of the Bonfiglio Cosa Nostra organized crime family in New York City.

As a student of crime since I was a teenager, I knew who Polina was. He was a big, violent and gregarious gangster. His hero was Al Capone. He was a large man, and he lived large. He was a psychopath who turned violent over the smallest slight or whim. He was called “The Face” when other gangsters referred to him.

He was called “The Face” due to his large head and large facial features - big nose, big ears and big mouth - as well as his broad facial expressions of joy and anger.

“He wore his heart on his face,” one mob guy wit said. Wisely, no one ever called Polina “The Face” to his face.

As I noted in one of my columns, New Jersey is the only state in America that has several different Cosa Nostra families operating there. There were the five New York families, the DeCavalcante New Jersey crime family, and the Philadelphia crime family. 

Bruno made Stillitano the capo of the Wildwood crew and instructed him to make peace and broker deals that settled disputes with the other crime families in New Jersey. 

In the early 1970s Nick Stillitano met with the New York and DeCavalcante capos and worked out deals. Polina agreed, but he planned to murder Nick Stillitano at some point in the future and take over Philly’s criminal operations in North Jersey.

Salvatore Stillitano told me that he spent summers in the 1970s with his father in Wildwood, New Jersey. He enjoyed the seaside resort town’s boardwalk amusements and the ocean and pools, but he even more enjoyed listening to his father’s stories about their tradition – the tradition of crime.

Stillitano related one of those stories to me.       

Anthony “Rosy” Ricci was a North Jersey bookmaker and Stillitano associate. He took  bets from some big-time gamblers and laid off action to other bookmakers for Nick Stillitano’s boxing bouts. Especially the crooked fights.

The 40-year-old tall and lean gambler was a cheerful man, which is why he was called “Rosy.” He was universally well-liked, which is why it was such a surprise to people that two thugs beat him unmercifully.

Ricci was sent by Nick Stillitano to a mid-town Manhattan bar to deliver an envelope to Gambone underboss Billy Mancuso. The envelope contained money that was a piece of the considerable winnings from a recent boxing match that paid off well for Bruno and Bonfiglio. 

Apparently, Polina did not like his share of the take, so instead of meeting Mancuso, Ricci was met by two Gambone soldiers who took the envelope, and pulling Ricci to the back of the bar, punched and kicked the bookmaker until he was unconscious. The two hoods left Ricci on the bar’s floor.

Bruno was furious, as was Stillitano, but the Philly boss made no attempt to contact Polina and confront him. He called Bonfiglio and requested a sit-down.

Luigi “Lupo” Bonfiglio arranged for the sit-down to be held in a small Italian restaurant that Bonfiglio secretly owned on Mulberry Street in New York's “Little Italy.”            

Nick Stillitano drove Bruno to New York City, and the two men entered the restaurant that had a sign on the door that read “Closed for Repairs.”

Inside the darkened restaurant Bruno and Stillitano passed two of Polina’s men at the small bar alongside Bonfiglio’s huge bodyguard and driver.

Bonfiglio sat with Polina at a table in the back of the restaurant as a busboy cleared the dishes of an Italian food feast for two that Polina alone devoured. Polina belched loudly as Bruno and Stillitano approached the table.

Bonfiglio, an elderly, small, rotund and balding man, waved for Bruno to come to the table. Polina leaned back in his chair and thrust out his large belly, revealing food and wine stains on his white shirt.

“Gavone,” Bruno whispered to Stillitano before they sat down.         

Bonfiglio stated that they were gathered at the sit-down to settle the dispute. Bruno, in a calm, clear voice said that Polina’s men assaulted his associate, a good earner, and broke his jaw, caused internal bleeding and other injuries. Ricci, Bruno said, was still in the hospital recovering from the beating.

“He was only bringing an envelope for you,” Bruno said. “He didn’t deserve a beating.”

Polina leaned forward and in a loud and gravelly voice said, “Your associate was disrespectful to my soldiers. He was acting superior to them, and they only did what was right.”

Bonfiglio held up his hands before Bruno could respond.

“Was a severe beating necessary?” Bonfiglio asked. “That seems to me to be over the top. They could have reminded Ricci that they were made men and given him a warning, and not a trip to the hospital.”

Bonfiglio’s crime family was far more powerful than the Gambone’s, so Polina sat quietly.

“It seems to me, Carmine, that perhaps you should at least pay for Ricci’s medical bills.”

Polina nodded in agreement.

“Sure, sure, OK, and I tell you what, I’ll throw in a couple of beans as a gesture of goodwill.”

Polina struck out his large, thick arm across the table and took Bruno’s hand in his sweaty hand that was as large as a baseball catcher’s mitt.

“Let’s have a cigar, coffee and a Sambuca,” Polino said.

“Sound good,” Bonfiglio said.

Bruno declined, stating that they had a long drive back to Philadelphia.

On the drive back home, Bruno growled and told Stillitano that Polina’s offer to give Ricci a couple hundred dollars for the brutal beating was insulting.

“Carmine was trying to provoke me, but I won’t be provoked. A crude and violent man like him will eventually bring on his own downfall.”

 

Several weeks later, Ricci, his jaw wired shut, was released from the hospital and was back at work at his “book” in Newark, New Jersey.

Ricci, still cheerful despite his injuries, spent the day hanging around the hardware store that was a front for his gambling business. His assistants manned the phones taking bets in a back room as Ricci sipped a vanilla milkshake through a straw. 

At five o’clock, he waved goodbye to his men and walked out of the store. As he walked towards his parked car, a man with a gun stepped out of a car and shot Ricci five times, killing him instantly.

The gunman stepped back in the car and the car sped off.

 © 2026 Paul Davis 

Iran Is Like Monty Python's Black Knight Sketch

Iran’s arrogant, fanatical and unrealistic bluster after the U.S. military has virtually destroyed its military and industrial base reminds me of Monty Python’s classic Black Knight sketch.

You can watch the sketch via the link below:

Bing Videos 

My Threatcon Column: Homemade Bomb Throwers Plead Not Guilty

Counterterrorism magazine posted my online Threatcon column on the homemade bomb throwers in New York City pleading not guilty. 

You can read the column via the link below or the following text:

IACSP - ThreatCon Articles

On April 15^th, Emir Balat, 18, and Ibrahim Kayumi, 19, pleaded not guilty to charges that they attempted to detonate two explosive devices in the vicinity of Gracie Mansion, the official residence of the New York City mayor in Manhattan, and that they were acting in support of ISIS, a designated foreign terrorist organization.

The plea was surprising to me, considering that there are clear videos of the two men hurling the homemade bombs at anti-Islam protestors outside the mayor’s home, and there are also videos of the two bomb throwers being tackled and arrested by NYPD officers afterwards.  

Back on March 10^th, the Department of Justice announced the charges against Balat and Kayumi.

“This was an alleged ISIS-inspired act of terrorism that could have killed American citizens,” said then-Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “We will not allow ISIS’s poisonous, anti-American ideology to threaten this nation—our law enforcement officers will remain vigilant, as they were when these devices were brought to a protest.”

Then-Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche added, “These men allegedly sought to inflict mass casualties in service to ISIS with the hope of exceeding the carnage of the Boston Marathon bombing, We are tremendously grateful to the brave law enforcement officers who ran into harm’s way to apprehend these individuals and disarm the explosives before anyone was harmed. Thanks to the quick investigative work by federal law enforcement, this Department of Justice will prosecute these men who pledged allegiance to a foreign terrorist organization to the fullest extent.”

FBI Director Kash Patel also weighed in, “The defendants allegedly support ISIS and tried to follow the path of that deadly group by attempting to detonate explosive devices in a crowd. The FBI and our partners have no tolerance for terrorist organizations or those inspired by them to engage in attacks. We are committed to stopping acts of violence and will hold accountable those who seek to harm our citizens. I want to commend the brave NYPD officers who took action to prevent injuries or loss of life on the streets of New York.”

As alleged in the Complaint, On or about March 7, 2026, a protest called “Stop the Islamic Takeover of New York City, Stop New York City Public Muslim Prayer” and a counter-protest called “Run Nazis Out of New York City” were held outside of Gracie Mansion. 

“At approximately 12:15 p.m., Balat ignited and threw an explosive device, Device 1, toward the area where the protesters were gathered. Immediately after throwing Device-1, Balat ran to another location down the block and received a second explosive device (Device-2) from Kayumi. After apparently igniting Device-2, Balat dropped Device-2 near where several NYPD officers were standing, ran away from the NYPD officers, and jumped over a barricade. He was tackled and arrested by NYPD officers shortly thereafter, as was Kayumi,” the Complaint noted.

“Following his arrest, while en route to the NYPD precinct, Balat stated to NYPD officers: “this isn’t a religion that just stands when people talk about the blessed name of the prophet . . . We take action! We take action!”; and “if I didn’t do it someone else will come and do it.” Then, after arriving at the NYPD precinct, Balat requested a piece of paper and, after being given a paper and pen, wrote the following: “All praise is due to Allah lord of all worlds! I pledge my allegiance to the Islamic State. Die in your rage yu [sic] kuffar! Emir B.” “Kuffar” is an Arabic term that refers to “non-believers” or “infidels,” and “Die in your rage” is a slogan used by ISIS.”

Law enforcement officers later asked Balat if he was familiar with the Boston Marathon bombing, and if that was what Balat had hoped to accomplish. Balat responded: “No, even bigger.  It was only three deaths.”

After Kayumi was arrested, and as he was being placed inside an NYPD vehicle to be transported from the scene to an NYPD precinct, an individual from the surrounding crowd yelled to Kayumi and asked why Kayumi had done this.  Kayumi responded, “ISIS.” Then, at the NYPD precinct, in response to a question from law enforcement about whether he was affiliated with ISIS, Kayumi indicated that he was. He further stated, in substance and part, that: (i) he has watched ISIS propaganda on his phone; (ii) his actions that day were partly inspired by ISIS; (iii) he did not feel comfortable holding the Devices earlier that day; and (iv) he would not feel comfortable if the Devices were in the interrogation room with him.

After Balat and Kayumi were arrested and the Devices were secured, an FBI Special Agent Bomb Technician (SABT) conducted a preliminary examination of the Devices and determined that they were each approximately the size of a mason jar; that they each had an attached fuse; and that they each had nuts and bolts attached to the exterior, surrounded by duct tape. A preliminary analysis of Device-1, the device that Balat threw into the crowd of protesters, showed that it contained TATP, a highly volatile explosive that is colloquially known as the “Mother of Satan” and extremely sensitive to impact, friction, and heat. TATP has been used in multiple terrorist attacks over the last decade.

The Justice Department stated that on or about March 8, 2026, law enforcement officers located a parked vehicle registered to a family member of Balat a few blocks from Gracie Mansion. From inside the vehicle, law enforcement officers recovered a coiled green material consistent in appearance with hobby fuse, an empty metal can of the same approximate dimensions and appearance as the can recovered from inside Device-1, and a notebook containing handwritten notes. One page of the notebook contains the note “TATP explosive”; another page contains a list of chemical ingredients, including “hydrogen peroxide,” “sulfuric acid,” and “acetone”; and a third page contains a list of components and quantities, such as “aluminum can x6,” and “a box of bolts ect [sic] 2x.”

Balat, 18, of Langhorne, Pennsylvania, and Kayumi, 19, of Newtown, Pennsylvania, are charged with attempted provision of material support and resources to a designated foreign terrorist organization, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison; use of a weapon of mass destruction, which carries a maximum sentence of life in prison; transportation of explosive materials, which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison; interstate transportation and receipt of explosives, which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison; and unlawful possession of destructive devices, which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison.

Their next court date is June 16.

Paul Davis’ Threatcon column covers crime, espionage and terrorism.