Ahmed Ferhani Sentenced To 10 Years In NYC Synagogue Bomb Plot
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- It's a decade in prison for a homegrown wannabe terrorist who plotted to attack New York synagogues.
Ahmed Ferhani is the first person guilty of state terrorism charges, CBS 2's Dana Tyler reported Friday.
His voice breaking with emotion as he thanked his family and friends for their support, Ferhani was sentenced to 10 years in prison. He was arrested in May of 2011 after a nine-month investigation.
10 Years In NYC Synagogue Bomb Plot
It was on the corner of West 58th street and 12th Avenue that the Algerian-born Ferhani was arrested after buying guns and a grenade from police. He was pulled out of a car and handcuffed.
Last December, Ferhani pleaded guilty to terrorism charges, and sources told CBS 2 he stated, "By targeting a synagogue I intended to create chaos and send a message of intimidation and coercion to the Jewish population of New York City.
On Friday, his attorney said Ferhani is a mentally unstable man lured into a plot.
"This was a case that was clearly a case of entrapment, a plot that was initiated and manufactured by the NYPD," Lamis Deek said.
But prosecutors said Ferhani could very well have attacked New York's Jewish community. In a statement after sentencing, NYPD Commissioner Ray Kelly said, "Ferhani posed a real threat to New York's Jewish community, eagerly purchasing a hand grenade, two guns, and 150 rounds of ammunition from an undercover officer."
District Attorney Cyrus Vance said violent plots like Ferhani's endanger all New Yorkers.
Despite his admission and words of hate captured by police, Ferhani's attorney said her client's true intention was to sell the weapons on the black market because he was desperate for money.
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