Man who trashed US Attorney Alina Habba's NJ office arrested by FBI

Jessica Schladebeck, New York Daily News on Nov 15, 2025

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NEW YORK — The man who allegedly trashed the New Jersey federal prosecutor’s office after being denied a meeting with Acting U.S. Attorney Alina Habba is now in custody, the FBI said Saturday.

Keith Michael Lisa was arrested following a brief manhunt, sparked by his manic appearance Wednesday night at the Peter Rodino Federal Building in Newark.

Lisa was initially denied entry by security officers because he was carrying a baseball bat, but he was allowed to enter when he returned a short time later without it. From there, he traveled up to the floor where Habba’s office is located, but was told he would not be allowed to see her.

Lisa then allegedly started yelling incoherently and destroying property before he ultimately fled the scene, Attorney General Pam Bondi said in a statement on X.

“Any violence or threats of violence against any federal officer will not be tolerated. Period,” she added. “This is unfortunately becoming a trend as radicals continue to attack law enforcement agents around the country.”

Lisa, a 51-year-old with ties to Mahwah, New Jersey, and New York City, was identified as a suspect late Friday night, with the FBI offering up to $25,000 for information in the case.

No details have been provided on what led to his arrest, where or when he was taken into custody or what charges he may face. The FBI previously said Lisa was wanted on charges of destroying federal property and possession of a dangerous weapon inside a U.S. court facility.

“We got him,” Habba wrote on social media Saturday morning.

“This Justice Department under Attorney General Pam Bondi and our federal partners will not tolerate any acts of intimidation or violence toward law enforcement,” she continued. “So grateful to the FBI, Homeland Security Investigations and U.S. Marshals Service for their tireless work to capture him. Now justice will handle him.”

It’s unclear whether Lisa was specifically targeting Habba, who was not injured in the incident.

Habba, once a personal attorney to President Donald Trump, has served as the Justice Department’s interim top prosecutor in New Jersey since March. The president also nominated her to be the Garden State’s Senate-confirmed U.S. attorney, but later withdrew her nomination and has kept her on in an “acting” capacity.