A former California college student was sentenced Wednesday to 30 years in prison for trying to aid the Islamic State group.
Muhanad Badawi, 25, was also sentenced to a lifetime of supervised release during a hearing in federal court in Santa Ana. He was convicted earlier this year of conspiracy to aid a foreign terrorist organization and other crimes.
Authorities said Badawi and now-25-year-old Nader Elhuzayel concocted a scheme for Elhuzayel to fly to the Middle East to fight for the Islamic State and that Badawi lent him his debit card to buy a one-way plane ticket to Israel with a six-hour layover in Turkey.
The men, who were arrested last year, shared their support for the Islamic State in conversation and on social media. In recorded conversations, the pair discussed how it would be a blessing “to die in the battlefield,” the U.S. attorney’s office said.
“The significant sentence the defendant received illustrates the gravity of this crime and the threat the defendants posed to the United States,” Deirdre Fike, assistant director in charge of the FBI’s Los Angeles office, said in a statement.
Federal authorities had asked for the 30-year sentence for Badawi with lifetime supervised release, which is the same sentence that Elhuzayel received last month from U.S. District Judge David O. Carter.
Defense attorney Kate Corrigan, who has said Badawi never actually intended to fight for the Islamic State, had requested half the amount of prison time and 20 years of supervision.
She cited his lack of criminal history and age and said she planned to appeal the sentence.
“The real message from today’s hearing is that anyone who thinks they want to support ISIS or even dabble in its rhetoric better be ready to serve a lot of time in prison,” she wrote in an email.
Badawi was born in Sudan but moved to the United States as a child and lived in Orange County, where he studied engineering, Corrigan said.
While in custody, he stopped eating and dropped from 140 to 109 pounds before a judge ordered him force-fed last December.
The Associated Press contributed to this article.
Why only thirty years and not immediate execution?? This man is a terrorist, they deserve no compassion of anyone and we don’t need to keep this crap and pay for his room and board and health for any thirty years. Get real and show them what we area made of. Guess they will have to supply a special muslim cook also?? Sickening.
Because the crooked lawyers of America make too much money appealing and defending these cretins. Why not death to pre meditated murderers also. And, also to those who commit rape of women and children. Stop the bullshit already– these people have lost the title of human being when they commit savagery like these crimes. Fuck them, one bullet no appeals, no jail, one day trial and get rid of them. They lose the right to live on a civilized planet. They are not human and no one can fix them, ever.. Think that just might be A DETERRENT TO CRIME? SOME DOPE MAY SAY NO, BUT THAT IS WHY HE OR SHE IS A DOPE.Compassion does not even enter into this.
how do I know they will not be shared? I don’t need a bunch of bleeding hearts tell me anything The cities are up for grabs and if the scumbags are arrested then taxpayers have to feed clothe ands care for them you gotta be shittin me enough is enough
OBUMBA WILL PARDON THE POS ANYWAY.
I why bother to force feed him. If wants to die that is the one right that he hasJlwgerie @aol.com
Wait until the inmates find out he is and they will take care of him. I friend of mine who has died used to be a guard in a prison and he said if the inmates find out you are against America they will take them out. If the inmate needs special food they will put things in the food that will kill them. So not to worry. Inmates have a code of honor and they will take care of this trash
No justice is death to any and all enemies of America and traitors. Death sends a good message even to ISIS. They don’t respect this country or our laws because of O. They think they have us. Trump can’t come in soon enough.