NEWARK, NJ - Monday morning, Alaa Saadeh, 23, was arrested at his West New York home in Hudson County for allegedly conspiring to provide material support to ISIL - the "Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant," a designated foreign terrorist organization, US Attorney Paul J. Fishman 
announced.  

The FBI and the Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF) have been investigating a group of at least five individuals from New York and New Jersey who are allegedly involved with actively promoting ISIL. Saadeh, a United States citizen, is the fourth individual that the Department of Justice has noted is part of this current ISIL investigation. 

Charges
Saadeh was charged with the following:

• Conspiring with other individuals in New Jersey and New York to provide services and personnel to ISIL
• Aiding and abetting an attempt to provide services and personnel to ISIL
• Attempting to persuade a witness to lie to the FBI

Information Gathered from Case Documents
The FBI and the Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF) have been investigating a group of individuals from New York and New Jersey who have allegedly conspired to provide material support to ISIL.

"Conspirator 1"

• The first male individual - "Conspirator 1"
  - age 20
  - lived in Rutherford
  - Dual citizenship: United States and Jordan
  - brother of Saadeh
• "Conspirator 1" is suspected of traveling to the Middle East (with an ultimate destination of Syria and Iraq) out of John F. Kennedy International Airport and that Saadeh purchased his ticket

• On route to the airport, "Conspirator 1" was reportedly joined by "Conspirator 2" and Saadeh; they reportedly discussed reuniting as a group - along with Samuel Rahamin Topaz  - in a few weeks time overseas to join ISIL
• The group reportedly referred to this plan as "Hijra"

• "Conspirator 1" left the United States on May 5; it is alleged that he then joined ISIL
• The family of  "Conspirator 1" reportedly informed "Conspirator 2," Saadeh and Topaz that he had been arrested in Jordan and was suspected of supporting ISIL 
  
  

"Conspirator 2"

• The second individual - "Conspirator 2"
  - age 20
  - resides in Queens 
  - United States citizen
• After arrest of "Conspirator 1," Saadeh, Topaz, and "Conspirator 2" reportedly continue to discuss "Hijra" - their plans to reunite overseas 
  
  

Samuel Rahamin Topaz

• The third individual - Samuel Rahamin Topaz
  - age 21
  - resides in Fort Lee
  

• - United States citizen
  
• Text messages recovered from Topaz's phone allegedly reflect the group's plan to reunite overseas: 
  Text Message: May 21 
   - Saadeh and Topaz discussed the need to “lay low” and decide to refrain from taking any further action in an effort to avoid detection by law enforcement
  -The two also allegedly discussed needing to meet in person to discuss Hijra
  

Alaa Saadeh

• Reportedly, on May 22, Saadeh told a fifth individual that he suspected that either "Conspirator 2" or Topaz had "snitched" on "Conspirator 1" and caused his arrest in Jordan; Saadeh continued that - if that ends up being true - he would have to “kill someone”
• In recorded conversations with an informant, Saadeh allegedly stated:
  - he supported ISIL's use of beheadings and mass killings to impose its violent agenda 
  - he planned to travel overseas with "Conspirator 2" “at some point” 
  - he provided "Conspirator 1" with transportation and removed a SIM card from his phone to attempt to hide incriminating data
• Apparently this month, Saadeh became aware that he was under FBI surveillance and allegedly directed another New Jersey individual to not divulge to the FBI what was known about "Conspirator 1" 
  - he instructed the individual to “play dumb” and to be “honest up to a point” but to be sure not to tell the FBI anything about ISIL

Subsequent Arrests
Following the reported arrest of "Conspirator 1" sometime in May in Jordan, the following individuals were also arrested as part of this current investigation:

• "Conspirator 2" was arrested in New York, June 13, and charged with 
  conspiring to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization
  
  
• Samuel Rahamin Topaz was arrested June 17 in New Jersey and charged with conspiring to provide services and personnel to ISIL  
  
  
• Alaa Saadeh was arrested Monday, June 29, and charged with:
  - Conspiring with other individuals in New Jersey and New York to provide services and personnel to ISIL
  -Aiding and abetting an attempt to provide services and personnel to ISIL 
  - Attempting to persuade a witness to lie to the FBI 
  
  

Penalties
Each count in the complaint carries:

• a maximum of potential penalty of 20 years in prison
• a fine of $250,000
  

Investigative Team
Fishman credited the following in leading to today’s arrest:

• The FBI and the Joint Terrorism Task Force, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Richard M. Frankel of the FBI’s Newark Division
  

Trial Representation
The US Government will be represented by:

• Assistant U.S. Attorneys L. Judson Welle, Dennis C. Carletta, and Francisco J. Navarro of the U.S. Attorney’s Office National Security Unit in Newark, with the assistance of Trial Attorney Robert J. Sander of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section
  

ROSELAND, NJ - Further information has been released from Roseland Police Department Chief Richard McDonough regarding Tuesday's arrest of two males in Millburn after a police chase which originated in Roseland.  

McDonough explained that the incident began at about 4:40am Tuesday morning when Patrolman Martin Gutierrez was patrolling Eagle Rock Avenue near Locust Avenue and came upon a  vehicle which he deemed suspicious. While continuing to follow the blue Chevy Monte Carlo, Gutierrez ran the plate and found that the car had been reported 
stolen out of East Orange.

Without stopping for Gutierrez, the 16-years old male driver of the car, and his 21-years old male passenger led the officer on a high-speed chase which led up Livingston Avenue, onto JFK Parkway and into Millburn. The patrolman put out a call to his local law enforcement members in Livingston and Millburn and eventually, after the Chevy's front tire got blown out, the suspects made their way to the area of Parsonage Hill Road near JFK Parkway in Short Hills, left the car behind and took off into the wooded area.

Roseland, Livingston and Millburn Police were joined by the Essex County Sheriff's K9 unit and a NJ State Police Helicopter as they all searched the area, doing sweeps of the ground by car and on foot for the suspects and any possibly-tossed weapons. 

Eventually, a member of Millburn Police located the two suspects and Gutierez placed them under arrest and brought them back to Roseland for processing. 

Charges, Bail, Incarceration
The two men, both of Newark, were charged with the following:

• Male Driver, minor
  Eluding Police
  Receiving stolen Property
  Essex County Juvenile Detention Center
  
  
• Kamar Baldwin, 21  
  Receiving stolen Property
  $100,000 Bail 
  Essex County Jail

McDonough expressed that he wished to thank the members of the Livingston and Millburn Police for their assistance.

ROSELAND, NJ - Two males are now under arrest after a police chase which stretched from Roseland to Millburn early Tuesday morning. The incident began at about 5am this morning and Roseland Police Department Chief Richard McDonough confirmed that the department does have two males in custody. No other information has been confirmed at this time, but will be updated as information is released.

Reports came in early Tuesday morning of Roseland and Livingston police pursuing two African-American males in a blue Chevy Monte Carlo. The chase led up Livingston Avenue, to JFK Parkway and into Millburn. The Chevy's front tire eventually got blown out as the suspects made their way to the area of Parsonage Hill Road near JFK Parkway in Short Hills.

Reportedly, the men decided to leave the car and took off into the wooded area, which is close to a reservoir. It was unclear if they get rid of guns or were possibly armed. K9 units and the NJ State Police Helicopter were called in to assist with the search. 

As Millburn Police were called to the scene, Roseland and Livingston police continued to search the area, doing sweeps of the ground by car and on foot for the suspects and a possibly-tossed weapon. 
 
Eventually, with the assistance of Millburn Police, two suspects were arrested.