Pakistani National Pleads Guilty To Attempting To Commit Isis-Inspired Attack At Jewish Center In New York

United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton, Assistant Attorney General for National Security, John A. Eisenberg, Acting Assistant Director of the Counterterrorism Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation ("FBI"), Coult Markovsky, Assistant Director in Charge of the New York Field Office of the FBI, James C. Barnacle, Jr., and Commissioner of the New York City Police Department ("NYPD"), Jessica S. Tisch, announced today that Muhammad Shahzeb Khan, a/k/a "Shahzeb Jadoon," pled guilty to attempting to commit acts of terrorism transcending national boundaries, for attempting to enter the United States and carry out a mass shooting with automatic weapons at a prominent Jewish center in Brooklyn, New York. KHAN pled guilty today before U.S. District Judge Paul G. Gardephe and is scheduled to be sentenced on August 12, 2026.

"Muhammad Khan planned to carry out a horrendous attack on a venerated Jewish center in New York City in support of ISIS," said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton. "Thanks to the work of our law enforcement partners at the New York Joint Terrorism Task Force of the FBI, Khan's plan was disrupted before he reached the United States. Today's guilty plea makes unequivocally clear: terrorism and other hate-based violence have zero place in New York City. We will continue to ensure the safety of religious groups who have the fundamental right to gather peaceably and without fear of harm. That's what New Yorkers want and that's the American way."

"Khan planned a mass shooting at a Jewish center in New York City, timed to coincide with the anniversary of the October 7th Hamas attacks, with the explicit goal of killing as many Jews as possible," said Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg. "Khan declared that New York City was the 'perfect' venue for his attack because of its large Jewish population and boasted that his plot could be the largest attack on U.S. soil since 9/11. The National Security Division will work tirelessly to ensure that terrorists like Khan face the full weight of American law."

"Khan planned to illegally enter the United States and conduct an ISIS-inspired attack on the Jewish community around the one-year anniversary of the attacks in Israel by Hamas," said Acting Assistant Director Coult Markovsky of the FBI's Counterterrorism Division. "With this guilty plea, he will now face the consequences of planning a mass shooting in New York City that might have killed or injured many people. I want to thank the FBI teams and our partners for their work to prevent an attack and to bring this individual to justice."

"Muhammad Khan targeted a prominent Jewish religious center in Brooklyn to honor the October 7th anniversary by attempting to conduct what he hoped would be the largest terrorist attack on U.S. soil since 9/11," said FBI New York Assistant Director in Charge James C. Barnacle, Jr. "Khan planned to inflict significant casualties and fear before he was intercepted 12 miles from our northern border. May today's plea emphasize the FBI's unwavering commitment to stand alongside our local law enforcement partners to defend our city from terrorists seeking to harm any of our citizens."

"Muhammad Shahzeb Khan intended to come to New York City and carry out an ISIS-inspired act of terror against our city's Jewish community," said NYPD Commissioner Jessica S. Tisch. "The NYPD, in close coordination with our federal partners, was able to stop this dangerous plot before it could become a devastating attack. This case is yet another example of the sophisticated work that the NYPD does to protect our communities from harm and our ongoing commitment to stop hate-fueled violence."

As alleged in the charging instruments and other public filings:

In or about November 2023, KHAN, a Pakistani national residing in Canada, began posting on social media and communicating with others about his support for ISIS, including by distributing ISIS propaganda videos and literature. KHAN subsequently began planning terrorist attacks in the United States in support of ISIS, including by communicating his plans with two individuals who, unbeknownst to KHAN, were undercover officers (the "UCs"). KHAN told the UCs that he and a U.S.-based associate ("Associate-1") had been planning to carry out a terrorist attack in a particular U.S. city ("City-1") using AR-style assault rifles to "target[] Israeli Jewish chabads . . . scattered all around [City-1]."[1] KHAN repeatedly instructed the UCs to obtain AR-style assault rifles, ammunition, and other materials to carry out the attacks, and identified locations in City-1 where the attacks would take place. KHAN also told the UCs that he had identified a human smuggler who would help him cross the border from Canada into the United States for the attack.

In or about August 2024, KHAN changed his target to New York City, telling the UCs that the target location would now be a prominent Jewish religious center in Brooklyn, New York ("Location-1"). KHAN conveyed that he hoped to carry out this attack on or around October 7, 2024-which KHAN recognized as the one-year anniversary of the brutal and deadly terrorist attacks in Israel carried out by the foreign terrorist organization Hamas on October 7, 2023. KHAN told the UCs that "New york is perfect to target jews" because it has the "largest Jewish population in america," and, as such, "even if we dont attack a[n] Event[,] we could rack up easily a lot of jews." KHAN told the UCs that "we are going to nyc to slaughter them," and later sent a photograph to the UCs of the specific enclosed area inside of Location-1 where KHAN planned to carry out his attack. In the days that followed, KHAN continued to urge the UCs to acquire AR-style rifles, hunting knives to "slit their throats," and other equipment for the attack, and reiterated his desire to carry out this attack in support of ISIS. During one such communication, KHAN noted that "if we succeed with our plan this would be the largest Attack on US soil since 9/11."

On or about September 4, 2024, KHAN attempted to reach the U.S.-Canada border using a human smuggler. KHAN traveled from the vicinity of Toronto, Canada, toward the United States, before he was stopped and arrested in or around Ormstown, Canada, approximately 12 miles from the U.S.-Canada border.

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KHAN, 21, a Pakistani citizen who was residing in Canada, pled guilty to one count of attempting to commit acts of terrorism transcending national boundaries, which carries a maximum sentence of life in prison.

The potential maximum sentence in this case is prescribed by Congress and provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by a judge.

Mr. Clayton praised the outstanding efforts of the New York Joint Terrorism Task Force of the FBI, which consists of investigators and analysts from the FBI, the NYPD, and over 50 other federal, state, and local agencies, and thanked the FBI's Los Angeles and Chicago Field Offices, the New York State Police, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and the Counterterrorism Section of the Department of Justice's National Security Division for their assistance. The Office of International Affairs of the Justice Department's Criminal Division worked with authorities in Canada to secure the arrest and June 2025 extradition of KHAN. Mr. Clayton also thanked our law enforcement partners in Canada, including the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and Department of Justice Canada's International Assistance Group, for their assistance.

This case is being handled by the Office's National Security and International Narcotics Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kaylan E. Lasky and David J. Robles are in charge of the prosecution, with assistance from Trial Attorney Kevin Nunnally of the National Security Division's Counterterrorism Section.