Blind Cleric Serving Life Sentence Dies In Federal Prison

BUTNER, N.C. (AP) - A federal prison official says a blind Egyptian cleric serving a life sentence in the United States in connection with a failed plot to blow up landmarks in New York City has died.

Sheik Omar Abdel-Rahman died early Saturday. Abdel-Rahman was sentenced to life in prison after his 1995 conviction for his advisory role in a plot to blow up landmarks, including the United Nations, and several bridges and tunnels.

Kenneth McKoy of the Federal Correction Complex in Butner, North Carolina, said Rahman died at 5:40 a.m. after a long battle with diabetes and coronary artery disease.

Join The Conversation On The KDKA Facebook Page
Stay Up To Date, Follow KDKA On Twitter

(Copyright 2017 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)