A federal judge has handed down a 17.5-year prison sentence to Mustafa M. Alowemer, 27, of Toledo, Ohio, who pleaded guilty to charges related to a terror plot targeting a local synagogue.
According to court documents, Alowemer was arrested in May 2019 after a lengthy investigation by the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force. He was accused of sending money to ISIS fighters in Syria and planning to detonate a bomb at the synagogue.
Prosecutors charged Alowemer with one count of attempting to provide material support to a designated terrorist organization, specifically ISIS. He pleaded guilty to the charge in April 2020 and was scheduled for sentencing on Thursday.
In court, prosecutors requested a 20-year prison sentence, while Alowemer’s defense team asked for a more lenient sentence of 10 years. However, U.S. District Judge James R. Sweeney II ultimately sided with the government, handing down the 17.5-year prison sentence.
During his sentencing hearing, prosecutors presented evidence of Alowemer’s extensive online activities, which included promoting ISIS ideology and searching for bomb-making instructions. The court also heard testimony from a FBI agent who worked on the case, detailing the extent of Alowemer’s involvement in the terror plot.
Alowemer’s attorneys argued that their client was not a threat to national security and that he had shown remorse for his actions. However, the judge ultimately determined that Alowemer’s crimes warranted a significant prison sentence.
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Key Facts
- Agency: U.S. Federal Court
- Category: Violent Crime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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