Montco Woman Known as 'Jihad Jane' Gets 10-Year Prison Term
By Tony Hanson
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- A Montgomery County, Pa. woman who called herself "Jihad Jane" and helped suspected terrorists overseas was sentenced today in federal court in Philadelphia to ten years in prison.
Colleen LaRose, 50, of Pennsburg, Pa., admitted that she plotted to kill a Swedish artist over a cartoon that offended Muslims. Prosecutors were seeking a longer sentence despite her extensive cooperation with authorities following her arrest.
LaRose, who called herself "Jihad Jane" in videos posted on YouTube, returned from Ireland in 2009 to surrender to the FBI. She had traveled to Europe to take part in the plot to murder the cartoonist, but that plot was never carried out.
Today, she told the judge she was sorry for her actions and had been "entranced" by Muslim extremists.
Jamie Paulin-Ramirez, of Colorado, and Mohammad Hassan Khalid, a Maryland teenager are also being sentenced this week.
Khalid, arrested before he turned 18, is the rare juvenile held in federal custody.