5 Arrested in ISIS Halloween Terror Plot

According to available records, Sedarat’s father appears to be Roger Sedarat, an award-winning Iranian American poet and professor.

Third-party communications between July and October include references to Ali and a juvenile identified as Person 1, and state they were planning to conduct an attack on behalf of the Islamic State group, according to the complaint.

The amended complaint includes new details about the alleged plot and the phone search history of another juvenile, Person 2. The search history included references to several deadly attacks, including the shooting at Pulse nightclub, the Boston Marathon bombing, and the New Orleans truck attack, the complaint stated.

It also included references to Islamic extremism and other attacks, including multiple searches for Anwar al-Awlaki, a cleric with ties to the 9/11 hijackers, according to the complaint.

The complaint included exchanges in which several people, including Nasser, Person 1 and 2, and Ali discussed "fireworks" or "pumpkins," believed to be references to planning an attack on New Year's Eve or Halloween.

A forensic examination of a computer found in Ali and Nasser's home showed a search for “is it crowded on halloweekend at [amusement park].”

Nasser allegedly searched for video of the 2022 shooting at Tops Friendly Market and texted with a juvenile identified as Person 1 with a reference to a potential New Year’s Eve attack, the complaint said.

During a search of Ali and Mahmoud’s homes, federal agents found two shotguns, AR-15-style rifles, four handguns, ammunition, tactical vests and GoPro cameras, the complaint says. In a storage unit allegedly rented by Ali, agents recovered two tactical backpacks, 24 empty magazines and chest-rig vests, according to the complaint.

The complaint says that Ali allegedly bought an AR-15-style rifle, a shotgun and other firearm accessories, including a “forced reset trigger that allows a shooter to increase the rate of fire in a semiautomatic weapon.” The items were purchased in August and September, according to the complaint.

Mahmoud also allegedly purchased an AR-15-style rifle in September, as well as 1,600 rounds of ammunition a month later, the complaint says. The amended complaint notes that Nasser also purchased a rifle in September.

According to the complaint, the two men and one of the juveniles practiced shooting at gun ranges in September and October.

In September, Ali, Mahmoud and a minor co-conspirator allegedly made trips to Ferndale, Michigan, which is known for its bar and restaurant scene, according to the complaint. A federal agent wrote in the complaint that he believed the group was scouting locations for the alleged attack.