Man Pleads Guilty In Case Of Stolen Livingston School Bus: Feds

LIVINGSTON, NJ — A 24-year-old man who drove a stolen school bus from Livingston to Pennsylvania has pleaded guilty to a crime that could result in up to 10 years in prison, federal prosecutors announced this week.

According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Bader Alzahrani, 24, of Saudi Arabia, pleaded guilty to interstate transportation of a stolen vehicle on Wednesday.

Prosecutors released the following details about the case:

“On Jan. 15, 2023, a break-in was reported in an unoccupied residential home in Livingston, New Jersey. During a search of a backpack in that home, law enforcement saw a Saudi Arabian passport with the name ‘Bader Alzahrani,’ along with other items that appeared to belong to Alzahrani. On Jan. 17, 2023, the Livingston Board of Education reported that a school bus was stolen from a parking lot across the street from the unoccupied residential home where the break-in was reported. During the ensuing investigation, law enforcement located Alzahrani in Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania. After Alzahrani was taken into custody, law enforcement searched Alzahrani and recovered the keys to the stolen school bus.”

Investigators previously reported that they also found journals that allegedly belonged to Alzahrani, which had entries about war, rage and destruction, as well as aggressive messages referencing Jewish and white people. See Related: Man Stole Livingston School Bus, Indicted By Grand Jury: Prosecutors

The count of possession of a stolen vehicle is punishable by a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and carries a fine of up to $250,000. Sentencing is scheduled for Sept. 9, prosecutors said.

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