Christian Toro, 28, of the Bronx, was sentenced to 70 months in federal prison for manufacturing and stockpiling a destructive device in his Bronx residence. U.S. District Judge Richard M. Berman handed down the sentence in Manhattan federal court, marking the end of a chilling case that exposed a web of bomb-making materials, student exploitation, and terror planning targeting a Harlem high school.
Toro, a former teacher at a high school in Harlem, admitted to paying students $50 per hour to dismantle fireworks and extract explosive powder, which he stored in containers at the residence he shared with his brother, Tyler Toro. One student was allegedly encouraged by Toro to call in a bomb threat to the school in December 2017. Investigators also found a copy of a bomb-making manual on his school-issued laptop, detailing the construction of explosive devices.
On February 15, 2018, FBI agents executed a search warrant at the Bronx residence. Inside a bedroom shared by Christian and Tyler Toro, they uncovered an arsenal: a glass jar of low explosive powder, magnesium strips, 20 pounds of iron oxide, five pounds of aluminum powder, a thermite mixture, five pounds of potassium nitrate, firecrackers, metal spheres, and CO2 cartridges—components ideal for fragmentation in a bomb. On the fire escape, agents discovered a jar of improvised napalm made from gasoline and Styrofoam.
Also seized were incriminating writings. A handwritten diary labeled with Tyler Toro’s name contained violent declarations: “WE ARE TWIN TOROS STRIKE US NOW, WE WILL RETURN WITH NANO THERMITE” and “I AM HERE 100%, LIVING, BUYING WEAPONS. WHATEVER WE NEED.” A notebook page titled “Operation Flash” detailed hours worked and payments owed to a student involved in the device’s construction—cold, calculated evidence of the operation’s reach.
Manhattan U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman stated, “Today’s sentence serves as a message that building and stockpiling destructive devices are grave offenses in and of themselves.” He credited the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force with stopping the threat before any attack was carried out. “Christian Toro seriously endangered the public, including minor children, and inspired fear throughout his community,” Berman said.
In addition to his 70-month sentence, Christian Toro was sentenced to three years of supervised release. His co-defendant and brother, Tyler Toro, who also pled guilty, is scheduled for sentencing on May 29, 2019. The case was prosecuted by the Terrorism and International Narcotics Unit, with Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth A. Hanft leading the effort. The FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force, including NYPD detectives, was lauded for its swift and thorough investigation.
RELATED: Palm Beach Resident Pleads Guilty to Espionage Act Violations
Related Federal Cases
- Bronx Man Pleads Guilty to Gun Charge in Buffalo Drug Bust · New York
- Mark Charles Barnett Charged With Bomb Plot Against Target Stores · New York
- Ricin Mailer Gets 22 Years: Threat to Trump & Texas Cops · Washington
- Bowman’s Gun Shop Owner Sued After 58 Guns Stolen, Trafficked · New York
- NSSF’s Gun Law Challenge Crushed in NY Court · New York
Key Facts
- State: New York
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Weapons
- Source: Official Source ↗
🔒 Get the grimiest stories delivered weekly. Subscribe free →
Browse More
MORE FEDERAL CRIME NEWS
WeaponsWeaponsWeaponsWeapons