Radicalized Queens man who plotted ISIS knife attack in NYC as teen learns his fate

A radicalized Queens man who plotted to attack New York City on behalf of the Islamic State group in 2019 has been sentenced to nine years in federal prison. Awais Chudhary, a Pakistan-born U.S. citizen, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Carol Bagley Amon after pleading guilty in June to providing material support to ISIS.

The case centers on Chudhary’s emergence as a teenage adherent to ISIS propaganda. Prosecutors say that while he was 19, he pledged allegiance to ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi and began planning a knife- or bomb-attack on targets in New York City, including Dunkin’ Donuts near his East Elmhurst home, pedestrian bridges over the Grand Central Parkway, the Flushing Bay Promenade and the World’s Fair Marina. He conducted several reconnaissance trips to the planned sites and made video recordings of the areas he intended to strike.

Authorities said the radicalized teen sought guidance from people he believed were ISIS supporters, asking them for advice on what knife to use and how to avoid leaving fingerprints or DNA that could lead to detection. He even sent a screenshot of an ISIS propaganda magazine that included a diagram of a human body indicating where to stab victims. In preparation for the attack, Chudhary ordered a tactical knife, a mask, gloves and a cellphone chest- and head-strap to help him record the assault. He was arrested while attempting to retrieve those items from an online retailer’s locker in Queens.

In addition to planning the attack, prosecutors said Chudhary helped recruit English-speaking internet users to ISIS’s violent cause, working with another ISIS member who was separately convicted of material support charges to translate the group’s propaganda into English. "Awais Chudhary pledged allegiance to a brutal terrorist organization and set out to kill American citizens," Attorney General Pam Bondi said in a statement. The justice system’s work, she added, would ensure he spends years behind bars.

NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch praised the cooperation that halted the plot and thanked investigators from the NYPD, the FBI and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for their work. "Chudhary’s plan to cause terror was stopped because of the women and men in law enforcement — and today, our justice system is holding him accountable," Tisch said. "I would like to thank our NYPD investigators as well as our partners at the FBI and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for their hard work and determination."

The nine-year sentence reflects the gravity of attempting to provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization and to facilitate mass casualties. Prosecutors described Chudhary as having radicalized online for more than 16 months before acting on his beliefs, and they said he began to express intent to carry out the attack when he was still a teenager.

The case highlights ongoing concerns about homegrown extremism and the networks that can influence young people online. Federal authorities have emphasized that even individuals who do not succeed in carrying out plots can still face serious penalties for attempting to assist terrorist organizations. The court’s decision serves as a signal to would-be extremists that attempted attacks, even those thwarted before they begin, will be met with severe consequences.