In October, a jury convicted Ahmad Khan Rahimi, 29, of planting pressure-cooker bombs in New York and New Jersey on Sept. 17, 2016.
The blast in New York City sent shrapnel flying, injuring scores of people and shattering windows. No one was injured in the New Jersey blast that went off at a delayed 5K run.
A manhunt ensued after the blasts and ended in a shootout two days later. Rahimi was shot several times. No police were injured.
While in prison, Rahimi showed no remorse for what he did and tried to radicalize other prisoners, according to federal prosecutors.
“He is proud of what he did, scornful of the American justice system, and as dedicated as ever to his terrorist ideology,” the prosecutors wrote.
At the sentencing on Tuesday, Rahimi said he doesn’t “harbor hate for anyone,” when asked to speak.
Late last year, Rahimi began trying to radicalize prisoners at the Metropolitan Correctional Center, prosecutors say. Rahimi shared bomb-making instructions and speeches by terrorist leaders like Osama bin Laden and Anwar al-Awlaki.
Rahimi was born in Afghanistan. He became radicalized by the ISIS and Al Qaeda terrorist groups in 2012.
“As the evidence at trial demonstrated, the defendant was committed to waging his holy war against Americans years before he carried out his attack,” prosecutors said of Rahimi according to Fox News.
“Even today, he appears to remain steadfast in that commitment and has shown no remorse,“ the prosecutors added. ”The defendant’s communications while incarcerated further demonstrate that, far from appreciating the depravity of his actions, he is proud of what he did, scornful of the American justice system, and as dedicated as ever to his terrorist ideology.”
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