NEW YORK (1010 WINS) -- Two men who were arrested Saturday in connection to "developing threat to the Jewish community" were arraigned Sunday, officials said.
The suspects, 21-year-old Christpher Brown of Aquebogue in Suffolk County and 22-year-old Matthew Mahrer of Manhattan, were arrested Saturday in Penn Station.
Brown was charged with making terroristic threats, aggravated harassment, and criminal possession of a weapon and Mahrer also faces weapons charges.
Mahrer's lawyer said in court Saturday that his client is Jewish himself and is the grandson of a Holocaust survivor, the New York Post reported.
"The FBI/NYPD Joint Terrorism Task Force, NYPD Counterterrorism and Intelligence Bureau investigators, working with their law enforcement partners, uncovered a developing threat to the Jewish community on Friday and moved swiftly to gather information, identify those behind it, and operationally neutralize their ability to do harm," Sewell said.
Officials did not say what the threat was, but Eyewitness News, citing sources, reported that Brown had made threats against synagogues. He did not specify a synagogue.
"By early Saturday, the NYPD's exhaustive intelligence-gathering led to the arrest by sharp-eyed MTA police officers of two individuals entering Penn Station, in Manhattan, and the seizures of a large hunting knife, an illegal Glock 17 firearm and 30-round magazine, and several other items." Sewell said. "As a joint investigation now continues to establish a strong prosecution, Police Department commanders are strategically deploying assets at sensitive locations throughout New York City."
The men were turned over to the NYPD and FBI from the MTA officers.
"The tremendous police work here reflects the MTA PD’s core purpose – protecting millions of daily commuters, in collaboration with our local, state and federal law enforcement partners," said MTA PD John Mueller.
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