Nov 19, 2009 8:41 am US/Eastern
Two Men Sentenced In Liberty City Terror Case
MIAMI (CBS4) ―
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The alleged leader of the original 'Liberty City 7' was caught on tape talking to an informant he thought was an al Qaeda member.
CBS4 News
Two of five men convicted of plotting to destroy Chicago's Sears Tower and bomb Miami's U.S. courthouses and FBI offices have been sentenced to prison.
U.S. District Judge Joan Lenard on Wednesday sentenced 24-year-old Burson Augustin to six years. His older brother, 26-year-old Rotschild Augustine, was sentenced to seven years behind bars.
Prosecutors sought maximum 30-year sentences for both men. But Lenard found they were not major players in the plot.
Three other men will be sentenced later this week, including ringleader Narseal Batiste who faces a maximum of 70-years behind bars.
All five men, known as the "Liberty City Five" were convicted in May of supporting al Qaeda, conspiring to wage war on the U.S. and other charges. Two previous trials ended in mistrials, and two other men were acquitted. All denied plotting terror attacks.
Defense attorneys had argued that the men were just "dirt poor" and pretended to be terrorists or supporters to scam $50,000 from two men they thought were working for Osama Bin Laden. In reality the two men were working for the federal government. Batiste testified that he only went along with terrorism discussions because he wanted the money.
(© 2010 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
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