(File Photo: Source for Photo: FBI agents gather outside a home in a Dearborn, Mich., neighborhood on Friday, Oct. 31, 2025. (AP Photo/Mike Householder)

(AP) A Michigan defense lawyer is disputing FBI Director Kash Patel’s allegations that his 20-year-old client and four other young suspects were planning to carry out a terror attack on Halloween weekend.

Announcing their arrests on Friday, Patel said more information would be coming soon, however the FBI and Michigan authorities have offered few details about the case. Spokespersons for the state and national FBI and the U.S. Attorney in Detroit did not immediately respond to messages Saturday.

The investigation involved discussion in an online chat room involving at least some of the suspects who were taken into custody, according to two people briefed on the investigation who could not publicly discuss details. They spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity. The group allegedly discussed carrying out an attack around Halloween, referring to “pumpkin day,” according to one of the people. The other person briefed on the investigation confirmed that there had been a “pumpkin” reference.

However, lawyer Amir Makled, who represents a man from the suburb of Dearborn who was still detained on Saturday, said federal authorities haven’t given him many details about the investigation but after reviewing the matter, he concluded that no terror event was planned. He said he doesn’t expect any charges will be filed.

“I don’t know where this hysteria and this fearmongering came from,” Makled said.

He described the all-male group of U.S. citizens as gamers, and said they range in age from 16 to 20.

“If these young men were on forums that they should not have been on or things of that nature, then we’ll have to wait and see,” Makled said. “But I don’t believe that there’s anything illegal about any of the activity they were doing.”

Authorities said Friday after the arrests were made that there was no further threat to public safety. Patel had announced in a post on X that “the FBI thwarted a potential terrorist attack and arrested multiple subjects in Michigan who were allegedly plotting a violent attack over Halloween weekend.”

Investigators allege the plan was inspired by Islamic State group extremism. It wasn’t immediately clear if they had the means to carry out an attack, but the reference to Halloween prompted the FBI to make arrests Friday, one of the people familiar with the investigation told the AP.

Patel credited the vigilance of the FBI, along with help from local authorities, with thwarting the plot.

Since the 9/11 terror attacks, the FBI has foiled several alleged attacks through sting operations in which agents posed as terror supporters, supplying advice and equipment.

(File Photo: Source for Photo: People queue to enter the Louvre museum, Thursday, Oct. 30, 2025 in Paris. (AP Photo/Emma Da Silva)

PARIS (AP) — Four suspects in the Louvre heist have been handed preliminary charges and incarcerated, including three believed to be members of the team who forced its way into the museum, leaving with $102 million worth crown jewels.

Paris prosecutor Laure Beccuau noted the apparent “closeness” of the suspects. Two of them were convicted in 2015 in the same theft case and all are based in Paris’ northern suburbs.

Authorities said the jewelry has not been recovered and the fourth member of the so-called “commando” is still at large. Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said investigators are also looking for whoever might have ordered the crime.

Neither names nor extensive biographical details have been made public, in line with French law that provides that information about investigations is meant to be secret, in part to avoid compromising police work.

Here’s what to know so far about the suspects:

Man aged 34 arrested at Paris airport

A 34-year-old Algerian national who has been living in France since 2010 is suspected of being one of the two thieves who entered the Apollo Gallery with disc cutters to cut into the display cases and steal the jewels.

He was arrested on Oct. 25, six days after the heist, at Charles de Gaulle airport as he was about to fly to Algeria with no return ticket.

The Algerian national lives in a suburb north of Paris named Aubervilliers and is known to police mostly for road traffic offenses and one theft. His DNA matched a scooter used in the getaway.

He told investigators he currently has no job but used to work as a garbage collector and delivery man. He faces preliminary charges of theft by an organized gang and criminal conspiracy.

Another suspect believed to have entered the Apollo Gallery

A 39-year-old-man was also arrested on Oct. 25 at his home in Aubervilliers, where he was born. He is believed to be the second man who entered the Apollo Gallery. His DNA was found on one of the glass cases where the jewels were displayed and on items the thieves left behind.

He is known to police for several thefts.

The 39-year-old is to go on trial later this month for damaging a mirror and the door of the prison cell he was being detained in as part of a separate theft investigation, in which he was later cleared. He told investigators he works as a taxi driver operating illegally.

He faces preliminary charges of theft by an organized gang and criminal conspiracy.

Beccuau said both men gave “minimalist” statements and “partially admitted” their involvement in the Louvre heist.

A 37-year-old man with a record of theft

A 37-year-old man was arrested on Wednesday, 10 days after the heist.

He is believed to be the third member of the team of four who arrived at the Louvre with a lift truck, simulating renovation work to stop the vehicle at the foot of the museum. The four left on two scooters headed toward eastern Paris.

His DNA was found inside the basket lift.

The Paris prosecutor said he denied involvement.

His criminal record contains 11 previous convictions, 10 of them for theft. He was convicted in 2015 in Paris in the same theft case as the 39-year-old suspect.

He faces preliminary charges of theft by an organized gang and criminal conspiracy.

A 38-year-old woman accused of being an accomplice

A 38-year-old woman arrested Wednesday is the longtime partner of the 37-year-old suspect. They have children together. The couple lives in La Courneuve, another northern suburb of Paris close to Aubervilliers.

The woman denied any involvement, her lawyer said.

A small amount of her DNA was found on the basket lift which could possibly be due to “DNA transfer” according to the Paris prosecutor — that is DNA she may have left on someone or on some item that later transferred on the basket lift.

She faces preliminary charges of complicity in theft by an organized gang and criminal conspiracy.

(File Photo: Source for Photo: FILE – This April 2, 2021, file photo shows bridges spanning the Allegheny River in downtown Pittsburgh. Republicans in Congress are making the politically brazen bet that it’s more advantageous to oppose President Joe Biden’s ambitious rebuild America agenda than to lend support for the costly $2.3 trillion undertaking for roads, bridges and other infrastructure investments. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar, File)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Pittsburgh, PA) According to Pittsburgh Regional Transit, it’s suspending some of its Downtown Pittsburgh service so some work can be done. Those who want to go on the “T” will experience disruptions and detours because of electrical work being performed on it today. Service is expected to continue tomorrow, and today’s riders should allow for at least another 20 minutes of time for travel. 

(Photo Courtesy of Butler Radio Network, posted on butlerradio.com on November 2nd, 2025)

(Reported by Butler Radio Network’s Michael Crowley)

(Butler, PA) A historic Butler building was gutted by a three-alarm fire early yesterday morning. Multiple fire companies were called out to the former Bantam Jeep Building in Lyndora around 1:00 yesterday morning, arriving on scene to find a substantial fire. According to our news partners at WPXI, the building’s roof collapsed as firefighters reached the scene and were trying to gain entry to the property. Crews then battled the flames for hours, putting the fire out shortly before sunrise. One firefighter suffered minor injuries and was treated on-scene. Butler City Bureau Fire Chief Chris Switala said the remaining parts of the building would need to be demolished. The cause of the blaze is currently unknown. The Bantam Jeep Building was located on Bantam Avenue behind Pullman Square. This story will continue to be updated as more details emerge.

(Photo Courtesy of Gavin Thunberg)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Beaver, PA) A house fire occurred in Beaver early yesterday morning. Beaver Volunteer Fire Department officials told WPXI that emergency crews were called to the 400 block of Buffalo Street at 1:10 a.m. Smoke was seen billowing out of the second- and third-floor windows of the home.Crews worked for nearly four hours to extinguish the fire and officials confirm there were no reported injuries.

(File Photo of Poverty Lane and Prosperity Lane Graphic)

(Reported by Danielle Smith of Keystone News Service)

(Harrisburg, PA) A new report warns that the end of pandemic-era relief programs has reversed historic child poverty reductions in the Keystone State and nationwide. The Pennsylvania supplemental child poverty rate averaged 11-percent between 2022 and 2024, raising soon after relief programs were cut, according to the Annie E. Casey Foundation report. Leslie Boissiere, vice president for external affairs with the foundation, says when the expanded Child Tax Credit, Earned Income Tax Credit, and Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program were widely available, they cut child poverty to a record low, but those gains have now vanished. Boissiere notes poverty has a direct impact on the well-being of children. She says anti-poverty programs lift 8-point-5 million children out of poverty. Just the Earned Income Tax Credit and Child Tax Credit keep 5-point-3-million kids above the poverty line.

(File Photo of Open for Business Sign)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Rochester, PA) Renovations have started to turn the former Rite-Aid on Brighton Avenue in Rochester into a Dollar Tree store. A Dollar Tree sign was installed officially at that location at the end of October. The opening date for the new store has not been announced yet, but a sign on the front of it says that it is “coming soon.” According to its website, Dollar Tree already has 366 locations in Pennsylvania, including stores in Center, Chippewa, Cranberry, Hopewell and Moon townships and Economy, Ellwood City and Leetsdale.

(File Photo of Handcuffs)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Darlington Township, PA) Forty-nine-year-old Chris Shutack of Darlington is facing charges of aggravated assault and related charges after police confirm he shot Anna Vellone of Columbiana, Ohio in her leg during a verbal altercation in Darlington Township on Saturday. The incident occurred at 102 Moffett Drive at around 5 a.m. Police also note that Shutack allegedly choked and pushed Vellone before shooting her in the lower leg and Vellone was taken to a Pittsburgh area hospital and is expected to recover. Records show that Shutack is in the Beaver County Jail and online court records state that he is charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, strangulation, tampering with or fabricating evidence, simple assault and having a firearm while prohibited. The bail for Shutack is set at $200,000.

(Photo Provided with Release Courtesy of abundance-creative.com)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Bedford, PA) According to a release on Friday from abundance-creative.com, the Northeast Beef Promotion Initiative (NEBPI) and the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association (PIAA) have launched the second annual Beef’s Best Concession Stand Contest, which invites schools across Pennsylvania to show off their most creative and crowd-pleasing beef menu items. The Pennsylvania Beef Council through the NEBPI, will continue its partnership with the PIAA for the fourth year in a row. The winning school will receive a cash prize of $250, a display banner, and Beef’s Best T-shirts and a commemorative plaque, and the first 10 schools to enter will receive a swag kit that is beef-themed. Entries close tomorrow, but they are open now. The link to enter can be found below, or you can scan the QR code on the headline photo to apply.

Click here to enter the 2025 Beef’s Best Fall Concession Stand Contest.