Mail bombings suspect will be moved to New York to face federal charges

Cesar Sayoc Jr., the suspect accused of mailing a series of explosives to prominent Democrats and critics of President Trump, on Friday agreed to be moved to New York to face federal charges, NBC News reported.

Sayoc, 56, was arrested last week in Plantation, Fla., after investigators reportedly linked him to more than a dozen explosive devices that were mailed to high-profile Democrats, including former President Obama and former Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, as well as to CNN. None of the packages detonated and no injuries were reported.

{mosads}He waived a bond hearing in Miami, where he has been in federal custody since his arrest, and agreed face the charges against him in New York.

It is unclear when that transport will take place, NBC News noted.

Federal prosecutors in the Southern District of New York have charged him with five criminal counts: interstate transport of explosives, mailing of explosives, threats against former presidents, making threatening interstate communications and assault of current or former officials.

If convicted on all counts, he faces up to 48 years in prison.

Sayoc’s defense lawyer Jamie Benjamin told NBC News after the hearing that Sayoc will likely have a new legal team in New York.

“We wanted to make sure that all of his constitutional rights were preserved,” Benjamin said. “We feel we’ve done all we can.”

Federal prosecutors filed a motion on Tuesday arguing that Sayoc should be detained pending his trial “due to both his dangerousness to the community and risk of flight.” They argued that Sayoc committed a “domestic terror attack.”

Prosecutors also wrote that Sayoc has been linked to devices mailed to Democratic mega-donor Tom Steyer and CNN since his arrest, suggesting additional explosive devices could be detected during the FBI’s ongoing investigation.

According to the letter, evidence taken from Sayoc’s electronic devices reportedly suggested he began plotting the attacks as early as July.

“The defendant conducted a domestic terrorist attack targeting at least 15 victims with improvised explosive devices (‘IEDS’) that he sent to locations throughout the country in padded mailing envelopes,” U.S. Attorney Geoffrey Berman wrote in a letter to Judge Edwin Torres.