Geoffrey S. Berman, the United States Attorney for the
Southern District of New York, William F. Sweeney Jr., the Assistant
Director-in-Charge of the New York Office of the Federal Bureau of
Investigation (“FBI”), and James P. O’Neill, Police Commissioner of the City of
New York, (“NYPD”), announced that CHRISTIAN TORO and TYLER TORO have been charged
in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York in connection with
their stockpiling of explosive materials and manufacture of destructive devices
at their residence in the Bronx. Both
defendants were presented before U.S. Magistrate Judge Debra Freeman in
Manhattan federal court this afternoon and detained.
As alleged in the Complaint[1]:
On or about December 4, 2017, a bomb threat was called into
a high school in Harlem, New York (the “School”). Shortly after a student was arrested in
connection with that incident, CHRISTIAN TORO, who was a teacher at the School,
resigned. After CHRISTIAN TORO’s
resignation, TYLER TORO returned to the School a laptop computer (the “Laptop”)
that the School had provided to CHRISTIAN TORO for use in connection with his
employment. A School employee found, on
the Laptop, a copy of a book that provides instructions for, among other
things, manufacturing explosive devices.
Law enforcement agents subsequently interviewed multiple
students at the School, who indicated that at least two students at the School
had visited CHRISTIAN TORO’s residence (the “Residence”), where CHRISTIAN TORO
would pay them approximately $50 per hour to break apart fireworks and store
the powder that came out of the fireworks in containers.
On February 15, 2018, law enforcement agents conducted a
search of the Residence pursuant to a judicially authorized search
warrant. In a bedroom identified as
shared by CHRISTIAN TORO and TYLER TORO, law enforcement agents recovered,
among other items, (i) approximately 20 pounds of iron oxide; (ii)
approximately five pounds of aluminum powder; (iii) a substance appearing to be
thermite, mixed from iron oxide and aluminum powder; (iv) approximately five
pounds of potassium nitrate; (v) a glass jar containing explosive powder; and
(vi) a cardboard box containing firecrackers.
In addition, law enforcement agents found a handwritten diary labeled
with TYLER TORO’s name, which stated, among other things, “WE ARE TWIN TOROS
STRIKE US NOW, WE WILL RETURN WITH NANO THERMITE” and “I AM HERE 100%, LIVING,
BUYING WEAPONS. WHATEVER WE NEED.” Law enforcement agents also recovered a
backpack, identified as belonging to CHRISTIAN TORO, containing an index card
with handwriting reading “UNDER THE FULL MOON THE SMALL ONES WILL KNOW TERROR.”
*
* *
CHRISTIAN TORO, 27, of the Bronx, New York, is charged in
the Complaint with one count of unlawfully manufacturing a destructive device,
in violation of 26 U.S.C. §§ 5822, 5861(f), and 5871 and 18 U.S.C. § 2, which
carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison, and one count of distribution
of explosive materials to a minor, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 842(d)(1), which
carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison. TYLER TORO, also 27 and of the Bronx, New
York, is charged with one count of unlawfully manufacturing a destructive
device, in violation of 26 U.S.C. §§ 5822, 5861(f), and 5871 and 18 U.S.C. § 2,
which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison. The maximum potential sentences in this case
are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes
only, as any sentencing of the defendants will be determined by the judge.
Mr. Berman praised the outstanding investigative work of the
FBI’s New York Joint Terrorism Task Force, which consists principally of agents
of the FBI and detectives of the NYPD.
This prosecution is being handled by the Office’s Terrorism
and International Narcotics Unit.
Assistant United States Attorney Elizabeth Hanft is in charge of the
prosecution.
The charges contained in the Complaint are merely
accusations and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven
guilty.
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