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Suspects accused of throwing explosives outside NYC's Gracie Mansion plead not guilty

By Alexa Herrera,
Alice Gainer
Alice Gainer
Alice Gainer
Alice Gainer joined CBS News New York as a reporter and anchor in January 2013. She covers breaking, feature and general assignment stories.
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Alice Gainer

/ CBS New York

The two men who allegedly lit and threw homemade bombs outside New York City's Gracie Mansion pleaded not guilty to federal terrorism charges at their arraignment Wednesday.

Emir Balat, 18, and Ibrahim Kayumi, 19, are accused of traveling from Pennsylvania and hurling explosives during protests outside Mayor Zohran Mamdani's residence in March. 

The teens were indicted on eight charges, including conspiracy to provide material support and resources to a foreign terrorist organization, and used of a weapon of mass destruction, according to the criminal complaint.

The weapon charge alone carries a maximum sentence of life in prison. 

Balat is accused of lighting and throwing a device toward a crowd before taking off. He's also accused of getting a second device from Kayumi, and dropping it near NYPD officers.

Balat and Kayumi appeared in court wearing tan prison clothes. Members of Kayumi's family were in court. One man cried. 

Prosecutors told the judge they've begun preparing discovery materials, which they said are voluminous. It includes law enforcement reports and physical items recovered. More than a dozen electronic devices are being scrutinized. 

They're due back in court on June 16. 

What happened at Gracie Mansion?  

It started when two conflicting protests drew more than 100 participants outside the mayor's residence. One was an anti-Islam group, and the other was a counterprotest called Run the Nazis Out of New York City/Stand Against Hate.

Police separated the groups, but chaos ensued after a person from the initial protest used pepper spray against counter-protesters. 

Balat then allegedly lit and threw a device toward the crowd before running away. He retrieved a second device from Kayumi but dropped it, the NYPD said.

The next day, another suspicious device was found in a car nearby. Testing revealed one of the devices contained triacetone triperoxide, known as TATP, a highly volatile and dangerous homemade explosive, according to NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch. 

FBI launches terrorism investigation

Both suspects admitted to law enforcement that their actions were inspired by ISIS, Tisch said.

Kayumi allegedly told investigators he had watched ISIS propaganda on his phone and was partly inspired by the group. Balat pledged his allegiance to ISIS in writing while he was in custody, according to the police commissioner.

According to the indictment, dashcam video taken as they traveled to New York City shows Kayumi saying to Balat, "All I know is I want to start terror, bro."

The FBI's Joint Terrorism Task Force launched an investigation and searched the teens' residences in Pennsylvania in March. 

After court, Balat's attorney had no comment. An attorney for Kayumi and several family members also said nothing. 

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