You are reading

Jackson Heights Man Who Plotted Attack on Times Square Pleads Guilty to Gun Charges

A 25-year-old Jackson Heights man pleaded guilty Friday to gun charges in relation to a plot to attack Times Square (Photo: Vidar Nordli-Mathisen)

Dec. 20, 2021 By Christian Murray

A Jackson Heights man who bought firearms with the intention of carrying out a mass shooting in Times Square pleaded guilty in federal court last week to gun-related charges.

Ashiqul Alam, 25, who is a citizen of Bangladesh, admitted Friday that he had purchased a firearm with an obliterated serial number as part of a plea agreement. As part of the agreement, he is likely to be sentenced to 5-years in prison and be deported upon completion of his sentence.

“With today’s guilty plea, Alam has admitted to purchasing a firearm for use in a full-scale, mass-casualty attack in Times Square,” said U.S. Attorney Breon Peace in a statement.  “Protecting our national security and the residents of this city, state and nation from the threat of terrorist attacks at home or abroad continues to be one of the highest priorities of this Office and its law enforcement partners.”

According to court records, Alam expressed a desire between August 2018 and June 2019 to purchase firearms for use in a mass-casualty attack. He identified two locations—Times Square and Washington D.C.

Alam, according to court documents, conducted several reconnaissance trips to Times Square in January 2019 and used his cell phone to make video recordings of the area as he searched for potential targets.

He also conducted research online about firearms and discussed purchasing a gun with an undercover cop. In March 2019 he told the cop that he was interested in buying a Glock 9 mm pistol.

In May 2019, the undercover cop told him that the firearm for sale had an obliterated serial number in which Alam replied “Oh, that’s good man.”

In June, Alam met the undercover cop and provided him with $400 toward the purchase of two Glock 19 semiautomatic pistols with obliterated serial numbers.  He asked whether the Glock 19 was compatible with a silencer. He was arrested soon after.

Alam was not charged with terrorism-related crimes. Officials said, despite his intentions, he posed no immediate threat, since law enforcement was monitoring his plans.

email the author: [email protected]
No comments yet

Leave a Comment
Reply to this Comment

All comments are subject to moderation before being posted.


The reCAPTCHA verification period has expired. Please reload the page.

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Recent News

CM Moya announces support for massive Metropolitan Park proposal near Citi Field

Council Member Francisco Moya announced his support for Metropolitan Park, a proposal put forward by New York Mets owner Steve Cohen and Hard Rock International that calls for the construction of a casino and entertainment complex on the parking lot just west of Citi Field.

In a lengthy statement released on Thursday afternoon, Moya said that when he was first approached about the project, his main consideration was ensuring that it would meet the needs of his constituents and provide a major boost to the local economy.

Long Island man charged in fatal Flushing hit-and-run that left 81-year-old man dead: NYPD

A Long Island truck driver was arrested on Tuesday and booked at the 109th Precinct in Flushing for a fatal hit-and-run collision that killed a Murray Hill senior who was riding an electric bike on Northern Boulevard three months ago.

Kyle Schreiber, 27, of Lincoln Boulevard in Hauppauge, was charged with leaving the scene of an accident resulting in the death of 81-year-old Peter Seo on the morning of Thursday, Dec. 28.

MTA seizes 19 ‘ghost’ cars registered to toll violators at Queens Midtown Tunnel on Monday

Two days before the MTA Board approved the controversial congestion pricing plan for Manhattan on Wednesday, the agency cracked down on persistent toll violators at the Queens Midtown Tunnel in Long Island City.

MTA Bridges and Tunnels seized 19 vehicles registered to persistent scofflaws on Monday and issued 81 summonses and confiscated two fraudulent incense plates. The MTA noted that the scofflaws accounted for approximately $483,000 in combined unpaid tolls and fees. One of the top persistent toll violators from the targeted enforcement owed nearly $76,000 in tolls and fees.