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Wealthy, New Jersey son of famed writer arrested as part of ISIS-led terror plot

November 6, 2025 | | Print Article

The investigation into a planned Halloween terror attack on gay bars in the Detroit area has uncovered more suspects, including the son of famed Iranian-American poet Roger Sedarat.

As previously reported, two Detroit men were earlier federally charged with plotting to commit a terror attack in Ferndale, Michigan, over Halloween weekend.

“[T]he defendants discussed an actual plan to carry out an attack, provided a date and ‘sought guidance from the father of a local Islamic extremist ideologue as to when to conduct their attack,’” the Detroit Free Press originally reported.

Following these two men’s arrest, two additional men — both 19 years old of age — were arrested in New Jersey in connection with the plot.

“19-year-old Milo Sedarat from Montclair, NJ, was allegedly in communication with those arrested in Michigan … and others overseas,” Jersey station WABC reported on Wednesday. “A second 19-year-old, Tomas Kaan Guzel, was also arrested.”

According to the New York Post, Sedarat was arrested at his father’s home, while Guzel was arrested at Newark Liberty International Airport, where he’d reportedly been about to catch a flight to Turkey so he could travel to Syria and train with ISIS.

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When the police searched Guzel’s phone, they reportedly found ISIS propaganda and a statement he’d made online about participating in a “Boston bombing-like attack.”

Both Guzel and Sedarat — the latter of whom is Roger Sedarat’s son — reportedly live in the wealthy, upscale neighborhood of Montclair, where homes under $1 million are rare — and where New Jersey Gov.-elect Mikie Sherrill lives.

“Neighbor Craig Weedon said the streets to their neighborhood were closed off for hours as nearly two dozen law enforcement vehicles pulled up outside the Montclair home to arrest Sedarat,” the Post notes. “Weedon described the agents as heavily equipped, toting camouflage tactical gear and assault rifles, drawing the attention of the entire neighborhood.”

Other neighbors, meanwhile, expressed shock at what they termed “good kids” getting involved in something so dark.

“They’re good kids,” one neighbor said, adding that the Sedarats were “good neighbors” and a “good family.”

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These arrests come days after Mohmed Ali and Majed Mahmoud, both 20, were arrested for planning to use AR-style rifles, shotguns, and handguns to commit terror and provide support to ISIS.

The two reportedly discussed committing the attack on what they termed “Pumpkin Day,” a reference presumably to Halloween.

According to the FBI, the two were part of a larger group of ISIS adherents who, besides buying weapons and planning terror attacks, also held gun-training exercises and scouted out potential terror targets.

“The area in Ferndale to which [they traveled in September] includes numerous bars and restaurants, including three bars/clubs identified by the FBI based on this data,” the complaint against the two reads.

“All three of these clubs are located on Woodward Avenue near East Nine Mile. Many of the clubs and bars in this area intentionally attract members of the LGBTQ+ community,” the complaint continues.

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FBI Special Agent Nicholas Czech wrote an affidavit attached to the complaint arguing that their visits to these gay bars were terror-related.

“Given that [they] are all under twenty-one years old and based on what I have learned during this investigation, I believe it is unlikely [they] would have traveled to this area at this time to patronize these clubs or drink alcohol,” Czech wrote.

The investigation into the defendants reportedly began a year ago and included an undercover informant who recorded their conversations.

Vivek Saxena
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