Gregory Lepsky, 20, of Point Pleasant, New Jersey, stood in a Trenton federal courtroom and admitted to planning a suicide-style bomb attack in New York City on behalf of ISIS. The self-radicalized man confessed to crafting a plot involving a pressure cooker bomb, guided by online jihadist propaganda and direct instructions from terrorist groups.
Lepsky pleaded guilty before U.S. District Court Judge Michael Shipp to one count of attempting to provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization. The charge carries a potential sentence of 16 to 19 years in prison, followed by a lifetime of supervised release. Sentencing is set for June 19, 2018.
The plot unraveled on February 21, 2017, when Point Pleasant police arrested Lepsky during a domestic incident at his family’s home. A search turned up a new pressure cooker hidden behind bubble wrap in his bedroom closet—exactly the kind of device used in past terrorist attacks. Digital forensics revealed damning evidence: bomb-making guides, ISIS propaganda, and messages where Lepsky vowed to become a martyr by driving explosives into enemy territory.
Investigators found Lepsky had been active online, exchanging messages with other ISIS sympathizers. One forwarded message made the directive clear: if a Western supporter couldn’t reach Syria, he should strike at home with improvised explosives. Lepsky took that order seriously. He purchased the pressure cooker weeks before his arrest and studied detailed instructions from a known terrorist group on how to assemble a functional IED.
According to court statements, Lepsky began formulating the attack in January 2017. He used the internet to access ISIS directives, research bomb construction, and gather materials. His target: New York City. His goal: mass casualties in the name of a foreign terror regime. Federal authorities say the Joint Terrorism Task Force in Newark, along with state and local agencies, prevented what could have been a devastating attack.
The investigation was led by the FBI, the N.J. State Attorney General’s Office, the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office, the Point Pleasant Police Department, and the N.J. Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney James Donnelly and Trial Attorney Justin Sher. Lepsky’s defense was handled by Lisa Mack, Assistant Federal Public Defender, Newark.
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Key Facts
- State: New Jersey
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Organized Crime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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