By: Richard L. Smith
Two men from Montclair and a third man from Washington state have admitted to federal terrorism-related offenses stemming from a plot to travel overseas and join the Islamic State of Iraq and al Sham (ISIS), according to information released by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey.
Federal prosecutors said 19-year-old Tomas-Kaan Jimenez-Guzel and 21-year-old Milo Sedarat, both of Montclair, pleaded guilty this week in Newark federal court before U.S. District Judge Katharine S. Hayden.
Jimenez-Guzel admitted to conspiracy to provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization, while Sedarat pleaded guilty to concealing material support and resources intended for ISIS.
A third defendant, 20-year-old Saed Ali Mirreh of Kent, Washington, pleaded guilty on July 22 before U.S. District Judge Richard A. Jones in Seattle after his case was transferred from New Jersey. Mirreh also admitted to conspiracy to provide material support to ISIS.
According to prosecutors, the three men communicated through encrypted messaging applications between July and November 2025, where they discussed plans to travel to Turkey before crossing into Syria to join ISIS as foreign fighters.
Investigators said Sedarat provided Jimenez-Guzel with $500 in cash to help purchase Mirreh’s airline ticket.
Authorities allege Sedarat attempted to conceal the transaction by directing Jimenez-Guzel not to bring his cellphone to their meeting and by using cash instead of electronic payment methods.
Federal officials said Jimenez-Guzel and Mirreh purchased airline tickets to Istanbul before accelerating their travel plans after learning that associates in Dearborn, Michigan, had been arrested in connection with an alleged ISIS-inspired attack plot.
On November 4, 2025, Jimenez-Guzel was arrested after arriving at Newark Liberty International Airport to board his flight to Turkey. Mirreh was arrested later that day at his home in Washington.
U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer said his office remains committed to aggressively prosecuting anyone who provides support to terrorist organizations, whether through recruitment, travel, or financial assistance.
The FBI credited the Newark Joint Terrorism Task Force and its law enforcement partners with disrupting the alleged plot before the defendants were able to leave the United States.
Jimenez-Guzel and Mirreh each face up to 20 years in federal prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and a potential lifetime term of supervised release. Sedarat faces up to 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, and a possible lifetime term of supervised release.
Mirreh is scheduled to be sentenced on October 16, 2026. Sedarat’s sentencing is set for December 2, 2026, followed by Jimenez-Guzel’s sentencing on December 3, 2026.