Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility
Bangladeshi Immigrant Convicted in NYC Subway Bombing
gvw_ap_news
By Associated Press
Published 6 years ago on
November 6, 2018

Share

Mug shot of Akayed Ullah
(New York City Taxi and Limousine Commission via AP, File)

NEW YORK — A Bangladeshi immigrant convicted Tuesday of terrorism charges after setting off a pipe bomb in New York City’s busiest subway station at rush hour told the trial judge he was angry at President Donald Trump and didn’t carry out the attack for the Islamic State group.

“I was angry with Donald Trump because he says he will bomb the Middle East and then he will protect his nation.” — Akayed Ullah

The verdict against Akayed Ullah was returned in Manhattan federal court after a trial in which the defense maintained that he intended to kill only himself last Dec. 11. Nobody died, and most of the injuries were not serious.

After the verdict was announced and the jury left the room, Ullah spoke out, telling the judge: “I was angry with Donald Trump because he says he will bomb the Middle East and then he will protect his nation.”

Judge Richard Sullivan told him: “Right now is not the time for a statement.”

Ullah repeatedly told Sullivan he did not carry out the attack for the Islamic State group.

Sentencing was scheduled for April 5, when Ullah faces a mandatory 30-year prison sentence and could be sent to prison for life.

He Wanted to Maim or Kill Commuters

Prosecutors said he wanted to maim or kill commuters as part of a “lone wolf” terrorist attack on behalf of the terrorist organization. They disputed the defense claim, saying Ullah would not have worn a bomb had he wanted to kill only himself. They also cited social media postings by Ullah, as well as comments he made after his arrest to investigators.

The verdict capped a weeklong trial that featured surveillance video of Ullah the morning when his pipe bomb sputtered, seriously burning him in a corridor beneath Times Square and the Port Authority bus terminal, where most subway lines converge.

At trial, Ullah was confronted with his post-arrest statements and his social media comments, such as when he taunted Trump on Facebook before the attack. The president later demanded tightened immigration rules.

Authorities said Ullah’s radicalization began in 2014 when he started viewing materials online, including a video instructing Islamic State supporters to carry out attacks in their homelands.

In closing arguments Monday, Assistant U.S. Attorney George Turner said Ullah told investigators after his arrest that he wanted to avenge U.S. aggression toward the Islamic State group and had chosen a busy weekday morning to attack so he could terrorize as many people as possible.

Ullah Followed the Propaganda of the Islamic State

The prosecutor said Ullah, 28, of Brooklyn, followed the propaganda of the Islamic State group online and wanted to follow its instructions to carry out a “lone wolf” terror attack on Americans.

“His goal was to injure and kill innocent civilians, to terrorize.”Assistant U.S. Attorney George Turner

“His goal was to injure and kill innocent civilians, to terrorize,” Turner said.

The prosecutor said Ullah told an investigator after his arrest: “I did it for the Islamic State.”

Gallicchio, though, said Ullah purposefully chose an isolated corridor to set off his bomb because he only wanted to commit suicide.

“This is not a terrorist attack,” she argued.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Shawn Crowley disputed the claim.

“It was about martyrdom, not suicide,” she said.

DON'T MISS

Jeffrey Sachs Warns of Looming US War With Iran

DON'T MISS

Cat House on the Kings Urgently Needs You to Donate Dollars and Adopt Your New Best Friend

DON'T MISS

The Surprising Sexual Politics of Nicole Kidman’s Kinky ‘Babygirl’

DON'T MISS

Why It’s Hard to Control What Gets Taught in Public Schools

DON'T MISS

FDA Approves Weight-Loss Drug to Treat Obstructive Sleep Apnea

DON'T MISS

In a Calendar Rarity, Hanukkah Starts This Year on Christmas Day

DON'T MISS

A Look at the $100 Billion in Disaster Relief in the Government Spending Bill

DON'T MISS

It’s Eggnog Season. The Boozy Beverage Dates Back to Medieval England but Remains a Holiday Hit

DON'T MISS

9-Year-Old Among 5 Killed in Christmas Market Attack in Germany

DON'T MISS

Biden Signs Bill That Averts Government Shutdown, and Brings a Close to Days of Washington Upheaval

UP NEXT

A Look at the $100 Billion in Disaster Relief in the Government Spending Bill

UP NEXT

9-Year-Old Among 5 Killed in Christmas Market Attack in Germany

UP NEXT

US Deportations Surge to Highest Level in a Decade Before Trump Takes Office

UP NEXT

White House Pushes to Find American Journalist Abducted in Syria

UP NEXT

Liberal Donors Plot to Overturn Republican House Majority in 2026

UP NEXT

The ‘Murder Hornet’ Has Been Eradicated From US, Officials Say

UP NEXT

Iran’s Rial Hits a Record Low, Battered by Regional Tensions and an Energy Crisis

UP NEXT

Supreme Court Will Hear Arguments Over the Law That Could Ban TikTok

UP NEXT

Trump’s Picks for Top Health Jobs Not Just Team of Rivals but ‘Team of Opponents’

UP NEXT

Middle East Latest: Israeli Strike in Gaza Kills at Least 8 From the Same Family, Palestinians Say

Why It’s Hard to Control What Gets Taught in Public Schools

11 hours ago

FDA Approves Weight-Loss Drug to Treat Obstructive Sleep Apnea

12 hours ago

In a Calendar Rarity, Hanukkah Starts This Year on Christmas Day

12 hours ago

A Look at the $100 Billion in Disaster Relief in the Government Spending Bill

12 hours ago

It’s Eggnog Season. The Boozy Beverage Dates Back to Medieval England but Remains a Holiday Hit

12 hours ago

9-Year-Old Among 5 Killed in Christmas Market Attack in Germany

13 hours ago

Biden Signs Bill That Averts Government Shutdown, and Brings a Close to Days of Washington Upheaval

13 hours ago

This French Bulldog Is So Fetch: Meet Toaster Strudel

15 hours ago

The Fed Expects to Cut Rates More Slowly in 2025. What That Could Mean for Mortgages, Debt and More

17 hours ago

New California Voter ID Ban Puts Conservative Cities at Odds With State

18 hours ago

Jeffrey Sachs Warns of Looming US War With Iran

In a recent interview, renowned economist Jeffrey Sachs outlined his concerns about the possibility of war with Iran, framing it as the culm...

10 hours ago

10 hours ago

Jeffrey Sachs Warns of Looming US War With Iran

10 hours ago

Cat House on the Kings Urgently Needs You to Donate Dollars and Adopt Your New Best Friend

11 hours ago

The Surprising Sexual Politics of Nicole Kidman’s Kinky ‘Babygirl’

11 hours ago

Why It’s Hard to Control What Gets Taught in Public Schools

12 hours ago

FDA Approves Weight-Loss Drug to Treat Obstructive Sleep Apnea

12 hours ago

In a Calendar Rarity, Hanukkah Starts This Year on Christmas Day

12 hours ago

A Look at the $100 Billion in Disaster Relief in the Government Spending Bill

12 hours ago

It’s Eggnog Season. The Boozy Beverage Dates Back to Medieval England but Remains a Holiday Hit

Help continue the work that gets you the news that matters most.

Search

Send this to a friend