#Feds file appeal to keep ‘bomb-throwing’ NYC lawyers behind bars #News

Enlarge Image

Lawyers Colinford Mattis (left) and Urooj Rahman
JAlgor

The pair of accused bomb-throwing lawyers charged with hurling a Molotov cocktail at a cop car in Brooklyn early Saturday were cut loose from jail on bond — and now prosecutors are appealing their release to a higher court.

The US Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York filed the appeal Tuesday with the Second Circuit Court to stay the release of Colinford Mattis, 32, and his alleged accomplice, 31-year-old Urooj Rahman.

They argued in the appeal that the nature of the crime — which they believe to have strong evidence was committed by Mattis and Rahman — warrants the detention of the pair until their trials.

“The defendants’ criminal conduct was extraordinarily serious. Amid the largely peaceful demonstrations taking place on Friday night, Mattis and Rahman committed an act of potentially deadly violence,” prosecutors wrote.

“The actions endangered NYPD officers, as well as other individuals on the street in close proximity to the attack,” they added.

The pair are accused of driving around near the 88th Precinct stationhouse in Fort Greene on Friday night and early Saturday and trying to pass out Molotov cocktails to protesters who were clashing with police near the precinct.

Soon before 1 a.m., Rahman allegedly got out of the minivan Mattis was driving and tossed one of the firebombs into an empty cop car near the stationhouse.

They were arrested nearby and charged federally with causing damage with fire and explosives to a cop car.

At their initial court hearing, they were allowed out on $250,000 bond, which was guaranteed by their friends and family.

Prosecutors appealed to put an emergency stay on their release, but a judge denied it and they were both cut loose Monday evening.