Geoffrey S. Berman, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and John C. Demers, Assistant Attorney General for National Security, announced today that CESAR ALTIERI SAYOC was sentenced today to 20 years in prison in connection with his mailing of 16 improvised explosive devices to victims across the country.  SAYOC pled guilty to a 65-count Superseding Information on March 21, 2019, before U.S. District Judge Jed S. Rakoff, who also imposed today’s sentence. 

Manhattan U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman said:  “Cesar Sayoc assembled and mailed explosive devices to high-ranking officials and former elected leaders to incite fear and to terrorize his victims.  Though thankfully no one was hurt by his actions, Sayoc’s domestic terrorism challenged our nation’s cherished tradition of peaceful political discourse.  For his wanton disregard of the safety of so many people, Sayoc will now spend 20 years in prison.”

Assistant Attorney General for National Security John C. Demers said:  “Time and again, we have seen individuals attempt to express political views and resolve political disagreements through violence.  Cesar Sayoc has now been sentenced for acts of domestic terrorism that are repulsive to all Americans who cherish a society built on respectful and non-violent political discourse.  Our democracy depends on our debating our strongly held views peacefully and respectfully, and when someone does not, on our prosecuting and punishing those who do not abide by these values.  I applaud the efforts of so many in our law enforcement community whose alertness and tirelessness led to the prompt arrest of the defendant before he was able to injure anyone, as well as those whose efforts led to today’s sentence.”

According to the Superseding Information, court filings, and statements made during court proceedings: 

In October 2018, SAYOC mailed from Florida 16 padded envelopes, each containing an improvised explosive device (“IED”), to addresses in New York, New Jersey, Washington, D.C., Delaware, Georgia, and California.  In alphabetical order, SAYOC’S intended victims (the “Victims”) were former Vice President Joseph Biden, Senator Cory Booker, former CIA Director John Brennan, former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, CNN, Robert De Niro, Senator Kamala Harris, former Attorney General Eric Holder, former President Barack Obama, George Soros, Thomas Steyer, and Representative Maxine Walters.  Between October 22 and November 2, 2018, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”) and the U.S. Postal Service recovered all of the 16 IEDs mailed by SAYOC.

Each of the IEDs mailed by SAYOC contained a mix of explosive powder from fireworks, shards of glass, and pool chemicals, designed to maximize potential injuries, damage, and the burning of his intended Victims’ skin.  On the outside of each IED, SAYOC placed photographs of each of the Victims, and sometimes their families and others, with a red “X” over their faces.  SAYOC also affixed black flags, similar in appearance to banners used by ISIS and other foreign terrorist organizations, to the outside of the IEDs.    

SAYOC had posted incendiary comments about liberal political figures online since at least 2011.  In the months prior to mailing the IEDs, SAYOC incited violence against the Victims, conveyed direct threats against them, and researched where and how to carry out his attack.  For example, in April 2016, he wrote that former President Barack Obama’s “head need[ed] to be chopped off” and he wished “death” to George Soros and former Attorney General Eric Holder.  In April 2017, SAYOC wished “Death” to “all Clintons” and in November 2017 posted “Your days are number[ed] Steyer[].”  Beginning in December 2017, SAYOC researched the Victims and their addresses.  For example, on December 23, 2017, SAYOC searched for the address of Congresswoman Maxine Waters, and, over the course of the ensuing months, SAYOC repeatedly searched for the “home address” or “address” of several of the Victims, and SAYOC intensified these searches in the days before his attack.  Finally, SAYOC researched online how to make a “letter bomb” and watched videos depicting explosions.    

The FBI arrested SAYOC in Plantation, Florida, on October 26, 2018—less than five days after the October 22 recovery of the first IED, which SAYOC mailed to Soros in New York. 

*                      *                      *

In addition to his prison sentence, SAYOC, 57, of Florida, was sentenced to five years of supervised release.

Mr. Berman praised the outstanding efforts of the FBI’s New York Joint Terrorism Task Force, which principally consists of agents from the FBI and detectives from the New York City Police Department, and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.  Mr. Berman also thanked the U.S. Attorney’s Offices for the Southern District of Florida, the District of Columbia, the District of Delaware, the District of New Jersey, the Central District of California, the Eastern District of California, the Northern District of California, and the Northern District of Georgia for their assistance in the investigation.  

This prosecution is being handled by the Office’s Terrorism and International Narcotics Unit.  Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sam Adelsberg, Emil J. Bove III, Jane Kim, and Jason A. Richman are in charge of the prosecution, with assistance from Trial Attorney David Cora of the Counterterrorism Section of the Department of Justice’s National Security Division.

Geoffrey S. Berman, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, John C. Demers, the Assistant Attorney General for National Security, William F. Sweeney Jr., Assistant Director-in-Charge of the New York Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), Philip R. Bartlett, Inspector-in-Charge of the New York Field Division of the United States Postal Inspection Service (“USPIS”), and James P. O’Neill, Police Commissioner of the City of New York (“NYPD”), announced today that CESAR ALTIERI SAYOC, a/k/a “Cesar Randazzo,” “Cesar Altieri,” and “Cesar Altieri Randazzo,” pled guilty today to a 65-count Superseding Information in Manhattan federal court before U.S. District Judge Jed S. Rakoff.  In connection with the guilty plea, SAYOC admitted to mailing 16 improvised explosive devices (“IEDs”) to 13 victims throughout the country, including 11 current or former U.S. government officials, and that he intended to use the IEDs as weapons and to cause injuries. 

Manhattan U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman said:  “For five days in October 2018, Cesar Sayoc rained terror across the country, sending high-ranking officials and former elected leaders explosive packages through the mail.  Thankfully no one was hurt by these dangerous devices, but his actions left an air of fear and divisiveness in their wake.  Sayoc has taken responsibility for his crimes, and will soon be sentenced to significant time in prison.”

Assistant Attorney General for National Security John C. Demers said:  “Cesar Sayoc has admitted to acts of domestic terrorism that are repulsive to all Americans who cherish a society built on respectful and non-violent political discourse, no matter how strongly held one’s views.  Our democracy will simply not survive if our political discourse includes sending bombs to those we disagree with.  I applaud the efforts of so many in our law enforcement community whose alertness and tirelessness led to the prompt arrest of the defendant before he was able to injure anyone, as well as those whose efforts led to today’s plea.”

FBI Assistant Director William F. Sweeney Jr. said:  “Sayoc’s crimes were intended to incite fear among his targets and uncertainty among the general public, leading to a significant deployment of various law enforcement resources in a nationwide search to find him.  When called upon, our FBI JTTFs across the country – along with our partner agencies – did what we do best, working swiftly, and side by side, to bring him to justice.  Unlike most of our investigations, this case played out in plain view from beginning to end.  The announcement of today’s plea is as good a time as any to remind the public that our JTTFs are working behind the scenes on a daily basis, in much the same way, to keep our communities safe.”

USPIS Inspector-in-Charge Philip R. Bartlett said:  “Today’s plea represents the hard work of Postal Inspectors and their law enforcement partners to keep USPS employees, customers and the sanctity of the US Mail safe from those who wish to harm the American public based on their distorted political or ideological agenda.”

NYPD Commissioner James P. O’Neill said:  “The NYPD and our law enforcement partners will continue to work tirelessly to keep New York City safe from threats of terror.  I commend the members of the New York Joint Terrorism Task Force, and the Southern District of New York for their work in this case.”

According to the allegations in the Complaint, Superseding Information, other court filings, and statements made during court proceedings: 

In October 2018, SAYOC mailed from Florida 16 padded envelopes, each containing an IED, to addresses in New York, New Jersey, Washington, D.C., Delaware, Atlanta, Georgia, and California.  SAYOC packed each IED with explosive material and glass shards that would function as shrapnel if the IED exploded.  SAYOC also attached to the outside of each IED a picture of the intended victim marked with a red “X.”  As SAYOC admitted today during his plea, he designed the IEDs for use as weapons and mailed them understanding that they were capable of exploding and causing injuries and property damage.  In alphabetical order, SAYOC’s intended victims were former Vice President Joseph Biden, Senator Cory Booker, former CIA Director John Brennan, former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, CNN, Robert De Niro, Senator Kamala Harris, former Attorney General Eric Holder, former President Barack Obama, George Soros, Thomas Steyer, and Representative Maxine Waters.  Between October 22 and November 2, 2018, the FBI and the U.S. Postal Service recovered all of the 16 IEDs mailed by SAYOC.

The FBI arrested SAYOC in Plantation, Florida, on October 26, 2018 – less than five days after the October 22 recovery of the first IED, which SAYOC mailed to Soros in New York.  The FBI seized a laptop from SAYOC’s van, which contained lists of physical addresses that match many of the labels on the envelopes that SAYOC mailed.  The lists were saved at a file path on the laptop that includes a variant of SAYOC’s first name:  “Users/Ceasar/Documents.”  A document from that path, titled “Debbie W.docx” and bearing a creation date of July 26, 2018, contained repeated copies of an address for “Debbie W. Schultz” in Sunrise, Florida, that is nearly identical, except for typographical errors, to the return address that SAYOC used on the packages.  Similar documents bearing file titles that include the name “Debbie,” and creation dates of September 22, 2018, contain exact matches of the return address used by SAYOC on the 16 envelopes. 

SAYOC’s laptop also revealed extensive Internet search history related to his investigation of the intended victims and his desire to injure or kill them.  For example, SAYOC conducted the following Internet searches, among others, on the dates indicated in 2018:

July 15: “hilary Clinton hime address”

July 26: “address Debbie wauserman Shultz”

Sept. 19: “address kamila harrias”

Sept. 26: “address for barack Obama”

Sept. 26: “michelle obama mailing address”

Sept. 26: “joseph biden jr”

Oct. 1: “address cory booker new jersey”

Oct. 20: “tom steyers mailing address”

Oct. 23: “address kamala harris”

*                      *                      *

SAYOC, 57, of Southern Florida, pled guilty to four sets of charges related to each of the 16 IEDs:  (1) sixteen counts of using a weapon of mass destruction; (2) sixteen counts of interstate transportation of an explosive device; (3) sixteen counts of conveying a threat in interstate commerce; and (4) sixteen counts of the illegal mailing of explosives with the intent to kill or injure another.  SAYOC also pled guilty to using an explosive to commit a felony, which relates to felonies committed in connection with the use and mailing of all 16 IEDs.  A chart identifying the charges and maximum penalties applicable to SAYOC is below.



Counts





Charge





Penalties Per Count





1 – 16





Using a weapon of mass destruction





Maximum per count: life





17 – 32





Interstate transportation of an explosive





Maximum per count: 10 years





33 – 48





Conveying a threat in interstate commerce





Maximum per count: 5 years





49 – 64





Illegal mailing of explosives with intent to kill or injure another





Maximum per count: 20 years





65





Carrying an explosive during the commission of a felony





Mandatory minimum: 10 years to run consecutively to any other sentence imposed

 

 



The maximum and minimum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by a judge.  The defendant is scheduled to be sentenced before Judge Rakoff on September 12, 2019 at 4:00 p.m.

Mr. Berman and Mr. Demers praised the outstanding efforts of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s New York Joint Terrorism Task Force, which principally consists of agents from the FBI and detectives from the New York City Police Department, and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.  Mr. Berman and Mr. Demers also thanked the U.S. Attorney’s Offices for the Southern District of Florida, the District of Columbia, the District of Delaware, the District of New Jersey, the Central District of California, the Eastern District of California, the Northern District of California, and the Northern District of Georgia for their assistance in the investigation.  

This prosecution is being handled by the Office’s Terrorism and International Narcotics Unit.  Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sam Adelsberg, Emil J. Bove III, Jane Kim, and Jason A. Richman are in charge of the prosecution, with assistance from Trial Attorney David Cora of the Counterterrorism Section of the Department of Justice’s National Security Division.

Geoffrey S. Berman, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, John C. Demers, the Assistant Attorney General for National Security, William F. Sweeney Jr., Assistant Director-in-Charge of the New York Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), and James P. O’Neill, Police Commissioner of the City of New York (“NYPD”), announced today that Cesar Altieri Sayoc, a/k/a “Cesar Randazzo,” “Cesar Altieri,” and “Cesar Altieri Randazzo,” was charged today in Manhattan federal court in a 30-count Indictment for offenses relating to his alleged execution of a domestic terrorist attack in October 2018, which involved the mailing of 16 improvised explosive devices (“IEDs”) to 13 victims throughout the country.  The case is assigned to U.S. District Judge Jed S. Rakoff.

Manhattan U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman said:  “Cesar Sayoc allegedly targeted former high-ranking officials such as President Barack Obama, President Bill Clinton, Vice President Joe Biden, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, and others, as well as CNN, by sending explosive packages to them through the U.S. Postal Service.  Sayoc’s alleged conduct put numerous lives at risk.  It was also an assault on a nation that values the rule of law, a free press, and tolerance of differences without rancor or resort to violence.  Thanks to the diligent and determined work of our law enforcement partners here and across the country, it took just five days to identify and apprehend Sayoc and end his reign of terror.  He now faces justice from a nation of laws.”

Assistant Attorney General John C. Demers said:  “According to court filings, Cesar Sayoc mailed 16 IEDs to more than a dozen victims throughout the country, including current and former elected leaders.  Less than five days after the first IED was discovered, he was tracked down and arrested, thanks to the outstanding work of the FBI, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and other law enforcement partners.” 

FBI Assistant Director William F. Sweeney Jr. said:  “As alleged, Cesar Sayoc deliberately targeted 13 individuals with 16 improvised explosive devices, attempting to create an atmosphere of fear and intimidation from California to the eastern seaboard.   Thanks to the seamless integration of FBI JTTFs across the country, working side-by-side with many other law enforcement agencies and first responders, his campaign of terror was brought to a rapid conclusion just five days after the discovery of the first device.  The FBI remains steadfast in our mission to protect the American public, and we will move with speed to bring justice to anyone seeking to harm our communities.”

NYPD Commissioner James P. O’Neill said:  “I commend everyone involved in investigating and prosecuting this case, particularly the agents and detectives on the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force in New York, which includes 56 agencies and 300 individuals – 113 of them NYPD cops.  Standing shoulder to shoulder with the FBI, the ATF, the U.S. Marshals, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the New York State Police, and others, we said from the outset that we would identify and bring to justice the person allegedly responsible for these acts.  We could make that promise because of our proven history of effective partnership.  The public’s vigilance also greatly assisted this investigation and helped lead to today’s 30-count indictment.  What is clear is that New Yorkers are always resilient in the face of threats – we refuse to back down, and we will never be deterred.”

According to the Indictment, Complaint, other court filings, and statements made during court proceedings[1]: 

Between October 22 and November 2, 2018, the FBI and the U.S. Postal Service recovered 16 padded manila envelopes containing IEDs allegedly mailed by Sayoc from Florida to addresses in New York, New Jersey, Washington, D.C., Delaware, Atlanta, and California.  Sayoc’s alleged victims, listed alphabetically, were former Vice President Joseph Biden, Senator Cory Booker, former CIA Director John Brennan, former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, CNN, Robert De Niro, Senator Kamala Harris, former Attorney General Eric Holder, former President Barack Obama, George Soros, Thomas Steyer, and Representative Maxine Waters.

Each of the 16 envelopes allegedly mailed by Sayoc had similar features, including the return addressee “Debbie Wasserman Shultz” at an address in “Florids,” six self-adhesive postage stamps bearing the American flag, and address labels printed on white paper with black ink in similar typeface and font size.  Each of the 16 envelopes also contained an IED.  The 16 IEDs also had similar features, including approximately six inches of PVC pipe packed with explosive material, a small clock, and wiring.  Some of the IEDs also contained shards of glass. 

Preliminary analysis by the FBI has revealed forensic evidence linking 11 of the 16 mailings to Sayoc.  Specifically, latent fingerprints on two of the envelopes have been identified to Sayoc, and there are possible DNA associations between a DNA sample collected from Sayoc prior to his arrest in this case and DNA found on components from 10 of the IEDs (including one of the IEDs that was mailed in an envelope from which a latent fingerprint identified to Sayoc was recovered).

The FBI arrested Sayoc in Plantation, Florida, on October 26, 2018 – less than five days after the October 22 recovery of the first IED, which Sayoc allegedly mailed to Soros in New York.  The FBI seized a laptop from Sayoc’s van in connection with the arrest that contained lists of physical addresses that match many of the labels on the envelopes that Sayoc allegedly mailed.  The lists were saved at a file path on the laptop that includes a variant of Sayoc’s first name:  “Users/Ceasar/Documents.”  A document from that path, titled “Debbie W.docx” and bearing a creation date of July 26, 2018, contained repeated copies of an address for “Debbie W. Schultz” in Sunrise, Florida, that is nearly identical, except for typographical errors, to the return address that Sayoc allegedly used on the packages.  Similar documents bearing file titles that include the name “Debbie,” and creation dates of September 22, 2018, contain exact matches of the return address allegedly used by Sayoc on the 16 envelopes. 

Sayoc possessed a cellphone at the time of his arrest, and the FBI’s ongoing forensic analysis of the device has revealed additional evidence.  For example, Sayoc allegedly used the phone to conduct the following Internet searches, among others, on the dates indicated:



July 15, 2018: “hilary Clinton hime address”

July 26, 2018: “address Debbie wauserman Shultz”

September 19, 2018: “address kamila harrias”

September 26, 2018: “address for barack Obama”

September 26, 2018: “michelle obama mailing address”

September 26, 2018: “joseph biden jr”

October 1, 2018: “address cory booker new jersey”

October 20, 2018: “tom steyers mailing address”

October 23, 2018: “address kamala harris”



Sayoc’s phone also contained photographs of some of the victims.

*                      *                      *

SAYOC, 56, of South Florida, is charged in the Indictment with 30 counts:  one count of six different offenses for each of the five IEDs that he allegedly mailed to Clinton, Brennan, Clapper, Soros, and De Niro in the Southern District of New York.  In aggregate, the 30 counts in the Indictment carry a potential maximum penalty of life imprisonment, and a mandatory minimum penalty of life imprisonment.  A chart providing more information regarding the charges and potential penalties is set forth below.  The statutory penalties are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant would be determined by the judge.

Mr. Berman and Mr. Demers praised the outstanding efforts of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s New York Joint Terrorism Task Force, which principally consists of agents from the FBI and detectives from the New York City Police Department, New York State Police, Westchester County Police Department, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.  Mr. Berman and Mr. Demers also thanked the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida for its assistance.

This prosecution is being handled by the Office’s Terrorism and International Narcotics Unit.  Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sam Adelsberg, Emil J. Bove III, Jane Kim, and Jason A. Richman are in charge of the prosecution, with assistance from Trial Attorneys David Cora and Kiersten Korczynski of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section.



Counts





Charge





Penalties Per Count





1 – 5





Using a weapon of mass destruction





Maximum per count: life





6 – 10





Interstate transportation of an explosive





Maximum per count: 20 years





11 – 15





Conveying a threat in interstate commerce





Maximum per count: 5 years





16 – 20





Unlawful use of mails





Maximum per count: 10 years





21 – 25





Carrying an explosive during the commission of a felony





Minimum for first conviction: 10 years

 

Minimum for additional convictions: 20 years





26 – 30





Using and carrying a destructive device in furtherance of a crime of violence





Maximum per count: life

 

Minimum for first conviction: 30 years

 

Minimum for additional convictions:

life

 



 

 



[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Complaint and the Indictment, and the description of the Complaint and Indictment set forth herein, constitute only allegations and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.