Four Muslim converts — including a ringleader who “hated Jews” and “the American government” — were convicted yesterday of scheming to blow up two Riverdale synagogues and shoot down military aircraft upstate.
On the eighth day of deliberations, jurors rejected defense claims that the men were entrapped by a government informant who infiltrated an upstate mosque while posing as a member of a Pakistani terror group.
The Newburgh, NY, plotters face life in the slammer at their March 24 sentencing.
The guilty verdicts prompted an explosion of profanities from one defense supporter, who was escorted out of the Manhattan federal courtroom screaming, “There is no
f – – king justice!”
Alicia McWilliams-McCollum, aunt of defendant David Williams IV, continued her foul-mouthed rant outside the courthouse, yelling,
“F – – k America!” and
“F – – k Obama!”
Asked why she was bad-mouthing the president, the Bronx community activist said: ” ‘Cause he’s still working under the Bush administration, that’s why! This s – – t all started under Bush!”
“He’s talking about change, but I don’t see
s – – t changing. F – – k him, too!” she shouted as tears ran down her face.
Earlier, her nephew broke into a smirk about halfway through the forewoman’s five-minute recitation of the verdicts, which found him guilty of all eight counts against him.
Ringleader James Cromitie — who was secretly recorded making anti-Semitic rants — briefly bowed his head as he was also convicted on all counts.
The remaining defendants were convicted on seven of eight counts, with Onta Williams sitting stone-faced while Laguerre Payen — who interrupted the trial for two days by feigning mental illness — rocked back and forth.
The case was dominated by 13 days of testimony from informant Shahed Hussain, who supplied the plotters with fake bombs and deactivated Stinger missiles before they were busted planting the purported explosives in May 2009.
Defense lawyers vowed to appeal, with one, Susanne Brody, calling the jury’s decision “a miscarriage of justice — just like the whole trial and case.”