Aug
Taylor Swift Terror Plot Suspects’ Lawyer Downplays Plan to Carry Out ISIS-Inspired Suicide Attack, Says They Were ‘Playing with Ideas’
The lawyer for the two men accused of plotting a terrorist attack at a Taylor Swift concert in New York City has downplayed the severity of their alleged plan, claiming they were merely ‘playing with ideas’ and not actively planning to carry out an ISIS-inspired suicide attack.
Lawyer’s Claims
Defense attorney Joseph Murray, who represents 21-year-old Mohamed Rafik Naji and 20-year-old Donald Morgan, told reporters that the pair were not serious about their alleged plot to detonate explosives at Swift’s concert at the MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, on July 8.
‘They were playing with ideas,’ Murray said. ‘They were not serious about it. They were not planning it. They were not preparing for it. They were not going to do it.’
Alleged Terror Plot
According to the criminal complaint, Naji and Morgan were arrested after they made statements to undercover law enforcement agents about their desire to carry out a terrorist attack in the name of ISIS. The complaint alleges that the pair discussed various targets, including the Taylor Swift concert, and that they had already begun to gather materials needed to make explosives.
Naji and Morgan are charged with conspiring to provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization, specifically ISIS, and with conspiring to commit acts of terrorism transcending national boundaries. They face up to 20 years in prison if convicted.
Defense’s Argument
Murray argued that his clients’ statements to the undercover agents were merely ‘fantasies’ and that they did not have the capability or the intent to carry out an attack. He also claimed that the government had entrapped the pair by providing them with the materials needed to make explosives.
‘The government created the crime,’ Murray said. ‘The government gave them the opportunity to commit the crime. The government gave them the means to commit the crime. And now the government is prosecuting them for committing the crime that the government created.’
Government’s Response
Prosecutors have denied the entrapment allegations, arguing that Naji and Morgan were already committed to carrying out a terrorist attack before they met with the undercover agents. They point to statements the pair made in which they discussed their desire to join ISIS and carry out attacks in the name of the terrorist group.
‘The defendants’ claims of entrapment are without merit,’ prosecutors wrote in a court filing. ‘The evidence will show that the defendants were predisposed to commit the charged offenses and that the undercover agents did not induce them to commit the crimes.’
Upcoming Court Date
Naji and Morgan are scheduled to appear in court on Nov. 14 for a status conference. Their trial is set to begin on Jan. 8, 2025.
It is unclear whether the pair will be able to post the $500,000 bail that was set for each of them. Murray said he is still trying to secure the funds needed to release his clients from jail.
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