November 18, 2009 4:50 PM

Man Gets 6 Years in Sears Tower Plot

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CBSNews
(AP)  A Miami man convicted of plotting to destroy Chicago's Sears Tower and bomb FBI offices has been sentenced to six years in federal prison.

U.S. District Judge Joan Lenard imposed the sentence Wednesday on 24-year-old Burson Augustin. Four other men are scheduled to be sentenced over the next three days.

Prosecutors sought the maximum 30-year sentence for Augustin. Lenard ruled that sentencing terrorism enhancements should not apply to Augustin, who was not the leader.

Prosecutors said in court papers filed Monday that Lenard should reject pleas for leniency. Ringleader Narseal Batiste faces up to 70 years behind bars, with the other four men facing between 30 and 50 years.

The men were convicted in May of supporting al Qaeda, conspiring to wage war on the U.S. and other charges. There were two mistrials, and two other men were acquitted. All denied plotting terror attacks.

The 110-story Chicago skyscraper is now called the Willis Tower.

AP
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by PaGuy1960 November 19, 2009 7:10 AM EST
6 years? he got off easy. I'm sure when he gets out he'll be a law abiding citizen.
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by chelokee November 19, 2009 5:42 AM EST
Only 6 years! OMG. Unbelievable. This dude should have gotten life.
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by skepticalJM November 18, 2009 6:46 PM EST
You know sometimes I think we should institute "banishment" as a sentence. It would be cheaper all around, so we would not have to support these bozos at the public's expense!
Send them all to Siberia or the North Pole.
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by thesevenveils November 18, 2009 6:43 PM EST
Supporting an enemy of the state is a capitol offense. As a citizen of the US, if these men are, they should also be tried as spies.

Six years is a slap on the wrist for what this man attempted to do, unless he was sent to a federal prison in Alaska.
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by thesevenveils November 18, 2009 6:38 PM EST
al Qaeda has infiltrated the Judaical System' Another present to the people of the US from GW Bush?
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by rwsmith29456 November 18, 2009 11:13 PM EST
Yeah, and if GW Bush had not eaten that apple in the Garden of Eden we wouldn't be in so much trouble now.
by GTR5 November 18, 2009 4:57 PM EST
Only 6 years! Moonshiners get more time than that.
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by 50BMS13 November 19, 2009 3:51 AM EST
GTR5
Exactly why the 911 trial coming to NYC should not be held there. Anything can happen in civil court.
by Dgunner November 19, 2009 8:27 AM EST
That depends on what county and how many relatives of the judge are in the whiskey business.You must live north of the Arkansas border and nowhere near Hot Springs Arkansas.
by ajvw November 18, 2009 4:08 PM EST
"Man Gets 6 Years in Sears Tower Plot
Four Others Expected to be Sentenced This Week After Convicted for Conspiring to Destroy Chicago Landmark"

no mention of the 100s of folks that work there
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by jwesel1 November 18, 2009 8:58 PM EST
no mention of the 100s of folks that work there
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Probably the judge thought no one in their right minds would live or work in Chicago.
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