WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Three militia members convicted of taking part in a foiled plot to massacre Muslims in southwest Kansas were sentenced Friday to decades in prison during an emotional court hearing in which one of the targeted victims pleaded: “Please don’t hate us.”
U.S. District Judge Eric Melgren sentenced Patrick Stein, the alleged ringleader, to 30 years in prison and Curtis Allen, who drafted a manifesto for the group, to 25 years. Gavin Wright, who authorities said helped make and test explosives at his mobile home business, received 26 years. The plot was foiled after another militia member alerted authorities.
Melgren dismissed defense attorneys’ request that he take into the account the divisive political atmosphere in which the men formed their plot to blow up a mosque and apartments housing Somali immigrants in the meatpacking town Garden City, about 220 miles (355 kilometers) west of Wichita, on the day after the 2016 election.
“We have extremely divisive elections because our system is to resolve those through elections and not violence,” Melgren said.
Stein’s attorneys have argued that he believed then-President Barack Obama would declare martial law and not recognize the validity of the election if Donald Trump won, forcing militias to step in. Stein’s attorneys noted that during the 2016 campaign, all three men read and shared Russian propaganda on their Facebook feed designed to sow discord in the U.S. political system.
Attorney Jim Pratt told the judge that for years Stein had immersed himself in right-wing media and commentators, who normalized hate. But Melgren was openly skeptical, telling Pratt: “Millions of people listen to this stuff — whether it comes from the left or the right.”
Prosecutors presented video testimony from some Somali immigrants who were the targets of the bombing. In one clip, Ifrah Farah pleaded: “Please don’t kill us. Please don’t hate us. We can’t hurt you.”
Allen, 51, choked up as he addressed the judge, prompting his attorney to step in and finish reading a prepared statement in which Allen offered “my sincere apologies” to anyone who was frightened and asked for their forgiveness. But Stein, 49, apologized only to his family and friends, and the judge noted when sentencing him that, unlike Allen, he had shown no remorse.
Wright, 53, apologized to the court, saying the plot is “not who I am.” He also apologized to the immigrants who lived at the apartment complex. The judge later said Wright’s courtroom statement showed he was still in denial about what he did, adding and he did not buy that there was any remorse on Wright’s part.
Melgren sentenced Stein to 30 years for conspiracy to use a weapon of mass destruction and 10 years for conspiracy against civil rights. He sentenced Allen and Wright to 25 years for conspiracy to use a weapon of mass destruction and 10 years for conspiracy against civil rights. Those sentences will run concurrently. Wright also got an additional year to be served consecutively for lying to law enforcement, bringing his total sentence to 26 years.
The judge told all three men that the planned attack was worse than the Oklahoma City bombing because the Garden City plot was motivated by hatreds of race, religion and national origin.
The Kansas plot was thwarted when militia member Dan Day tipped off authorities to escalating threats of violence. He testified at the men’s trial last year that Stein started recruiting others to kill Muslim immigrants after the June 2016 mass shooting at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando, Florida, by a gunman who had pledged allegiance to the Islamic State group.
Recordings that prosecutors played for jurors last April portrayed a damning picture of a splinter group of the militia Kansas Security Force that came to be known as “the Crusaders.”
Acting Attorney General Matthew Whitaker in a news release called the sentences “a significant victory against hate crimes and domestic terrorism.”
“These defendants planned to ruthlessly bomb an apartment complex and kill innocent people, simply because of who they are and how they worship,” FBI Director Christopher Wray said.
The sentencing hearings for the men came a day after two members of an Illinois militia known as the White Rabbits pleaded guilty in the 2017 bombing of a Minnesota mosque , admitting they hoped the attack would scare Muslims into leaving the U.S. No one was injured in that attack.
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5:20 p.m.
The alleged ringleader of a foiled plot to massacre Muslims in southwest Kansas has been sentenced to 30 years in prison.
Patrick Stein was sentenced Friday for his role in the plot to blow up a mosque and apartments housing Somali immigrants in Garden City. The attack was planned for the day after the 2016 election. Stein was one of three militia members convicted last year.
The plot was thwarted by another militia member who tipped off authorities to escalating threats of violence. He testified that Stein started recruiting others to kill Muslim immigrants after the June 2016 mass shooting at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando, Florida, by a gunman who had pledged allegiance to the Islamic State group.
Prosecutors had sought life in prison. Stein’s attorneys asked for 15 years.
A judge sentenced Stein to 30 years for conspiracy to use a weapon of mass destruction and 10 years for conspiracy against civil rights. The sentences will run concurrently.
Curtis Allen was sentenced to 25 years for conspiracy to use a weapon of mass destruction and 10 years for conspiracy against civil rights. The sentences will run concurrently.
Late Friday, the judge sentence Gavin Wright to 25-years in prison along with an additional 10- years supervised release. He also received a one 1-year sentence for lying to the FBI.
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12:10 p.m.
A man who authorities say drafted a manifesto for militia members involved in a foiled plot to massacre Muslims in southwest Kansas has been sentenced to 25 years in prison.
A judge sentenced Curtis Allen on Friday for his role in the plot to blow up a mosque and apartments housing Somali immigrants in Garden City. The attack was planned for the day after the 2016 election. Allen was one of three militia members convicted last year.
Allen was sentenced to 25 years for conspiracy to use a weapon of mass destruction and 10 years for conspiracy against civil rights. The sentences will run concurrently.
Authorities say Allen drafted the group’s handwritten manifesto that outlined grievances against the government for — in the document’s words — “not enforcing our borders.” Authorities say the men planned to release the manifesto after the bombing.
Prosecutors had sought life in prison. Allen’s attorneys asked for 10 years.
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10 a.m.
Somali immigrants targeted in a foiled plot to blow up their mosque and apartments in southwest Kansas told a judge through video testimony that they are still scared.
Prosecutors played five video clips of the Somalis at the sentencing Friday of Patrick Stein, Gavin Wright and Curtis Allen. The three militia members were convicted last year of plotting the attack in Garden City for the day after the 2016 presidential election.
In one video, Ifrah Farah pleaded: “Please don’t kill us. Please don’t hate us. We can’t hurt you.”
Garden City police Chief Michael Utz asked the judge to send a strong message that this type of behavior will not be condoned.
Prosecutors are seeking life terms. The men are asking for shorter terms of 15 years, 10 years and time served.
The plot was thwarted after another militia member tipped off authorities.
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By ROXANA HEGEMAN ,
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Three militia members face the possibility of life in prison for a foiled plot to massacre Muslims in southwest Kansas by blowing up a mosque and apartments housing Somali immigrants.
At separate sentencing hearings for the men on Friday, the government plans to play video clips of the intended victims talking about the impact the case has had on their community.
Patrick Stein , Curtis Allen and Gavin Wright , all of whom are white, were convicted last year of plotting an attack in Garden City for the day after the 2016 presidential election. The meatpacking town is about 220 miles (354 kilometers) west of Wichita. Prosecutors are seeking life terms for the three men, while defense attorneys are variously pleading for shorter terms of 15, 10 or even time served. The men have been imprisoned since their October 2016 arrests.
In court filings, defense attorneys asked the judge to take into account rhetoric from President Donald Trump that they say has encouraged violence. Stein’s attorneys noted that during the 2016 campaign, all three men read and shared Russian propaganda on their Facebook feed designed to sow discord in the U.S. political system.
Attorneys for Stein, who prosecutors have alleged was the ringleader, are seeking 15 years. Allen, who allegedly drafted a handwritten manifesto for the group denouncing the government for “not enforcing our borders,” is asking for 10 years. Wright, who authorities said helped make and test explosives at his mobile home business, is asking that he be sentenced to “time served.”
Their sentencings come a day after two members of an Illinois militia known as the White Rabbits pleaded guilty in the 2017 bombing of a Minnesota mosque , admitting they hoped the attack would scare Muslims into leaving the U.S. No one was injured in that attack.
The Kansas attack was foiled when another member of the group tipped off authorities about escalating threats of violence. Dan Day, who was given the code name “Minuteman” by his FBI handlers, agreed to wear a wire as a paid informant .
The investigation captured months of profanity-laced recordings in which militia members discussed plans and referred to the Somalis as “cockroaches.” Recordings that prosecutors played for jurors at the April trial portrayed a damning picture of a splinter group of the militia Kansas Security Force that came to be known as “the Crusaders.”
Day testified that Stein started recruiting others to kill Muslim immigrants after the June 2016 mass shooting at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando, Florida, by a gunman who had pledged allegiance to the Islamic State group. In one recording, the three men talked about how they hoped the Kansas bombing would “wake people up” and inspire other attacks against Muslims around the U.S.
Stein, Wright and Allen were convicted of conspiracy to use a weapon of mass destruction and conspiracy against civil rights. Wright was also found guilty of lying to the FBI.
