| New york terror case based on unscrupulous informant { January 9 2007 } Original Source Link: (May no longer be active) http://www.wnbc.com/news/10704634/detail.htmlhttp://www.wnbc.com/news/10704634/detail.html
Herald Square Bomb Plotter Gets 30 Years By Jonathan Dienst
POSTED: 11:05 am EST January 9, 2007 UPDATED: 11:28 am EST January 9, 2007
NEW YORK -- Herald Square bomb plotter Shahawar Matin Siraj was sentenced to 30 years in prison for his role in planning to set off backpack bombs on city subways.
Siraj apologized for his role but during his sentencing he blamed a paid police informant for manipulating him into taking part in the plot.
Judge Nina Gershon called the crimes "extremely serious" when she handed down the sentence, stating the plot, if carried out, could have caused chaos on New York's subway system.
NewsChannel 4 broke the story of the subway bomb plot back in August 2004, just days before the Republican National Convention was set to take place. NYPD counter-terrorism investigators recorded Siraj taking part in the conspiracy with the informant, Osama Eldawoody, and another man, James Elshafay.
Police Commissioner Ray Kelly praised the sentence in a statement, saying, "Those who conspire against New York City will pay a severe price."
U.S. Attorney Roslynn Mauskopf said, "Thanks to the extraordinary work of law enforcement, the defendants' plot did not advance past the planning stage, and the public was never at risk."
During the trial, federal prosecutors played hours of videotapes that showed Siraj praising al-Qaida and talking about where to place the backpack bombs. No explosives were ever purchased.
Defense lawyers had argued the entire case was manufactured by an unscrupulous informant but the jury came down with the guilty verdict in part because defendant Elshafay -- who earlier had pleaded guilty -- took the stand and testified against Siraj.
Siraj, a 24-year-old Pakistani immigrant, opted for the five-week trial instead of accepting a plea deal that offered a 10-year sentence.
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