By N. Clark Judd

The four men accused of attempting to detonate explosives outside the Riverdale Jewish Center and Riverdale Temple pleaded not guilty in federal court on June 3.

At a brief court appearance two days later, federal prosecutors gave the defendants’ lawyers 45 DVDs they said contained video and audio of meetings that James Cromitie, David Williams, Onta Williams and Laguerre Payen held “over the course of the conspiracy.” The four men are accused of attempting to bomb the temples and to fire a surface-to-air missile at military cargo planes at an Air National Guard base in Newburgh, N.Y., where they live.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Eric Snyder told a federal district judge on June 5 that the men met more frequently as they got closer to May 20, the day they were arrested in Riverdale.

Wearing a dark-colored suit and white shirt, David Williams licked his lips and rocked back and forth in his swivel chair as Mr. Snyder told the judge that investigators had recorded Mr. Cromitie planting the fake explosives outside of both institutions on Independence Avenue. Cameras used included stationary cameras outside the temples and one on a helicopter watching above.

Onta Williams, in a red Tshirt, was still as Mr. Snyder said he had a video recording in which the alleged bombing conspirator drew a map of Stewart Air Force Base, which they allegedly planned to attack. In the recording, Mr. Snyder said, Onta Williams labeled the base as “ground zero.”

But District Judge Colleen McMahon seemed surprised by how much Mr. Snyder was willing to share.

“This is a bit more fulsome than we need,” she said.

Mr. Snyder protested that he could finish his argument, saying, “I could bring it home, your honor.”

In an indictment revealed last week, federal prosecutors allege that Mr. Cromitie was the ringleader of the four-man group.

The federal grand jury that delivered the indictment voted up eight counts against the men related to attempted use of weapons of mass destruction and anti-aircraft missiles, as well as the attempted murder of U.S. employees. Seven of the eight counts carry a maximum sentence of life in prison.

Mr. Snyder told the judge that he expected to hand over another discovery package about a week from the June 5 conference.

The next conference date for the alleged bombing case was set for Thursday, Sept. 17.