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After 2 Mistrials, 5 Convicted in Sears Tower Attack Plot

One of the Liberty City Six was acquitted

By the Associated Press

Posted May 12, 2009 2:25 PM CDT

(AP) – Five men were convicted today of plotting to join forces with al-Qaeda to destroy Chicago's Sears Tower and bomb FBI offices in hopes of igniting an anti-government insurrection. A jury in Miami acquitted one member of the so-called "Liberty City Six." Ringleader Narseal Batiste was the only one convicted of all four terrorism-related conspiracy counts, and faces 70 years in prison.

The four others also face decades in prison. The men were arrested in June 2006 on charges of plotting terrorism with an undercover FBI informant they believed was from al-Qaeda. Defense attorneys said terrorist talk recorded on dozens of FBI tapes was not serious and the men wanted only money. Two previous trials ended in mistrials.

Defense attorneys for the men convicted today walk out of a Miami courtroom in 2007.
Defense attorneys for the men convicted today walk out of a Miami courtroom in 2007.   (AP Photo)
Six of the seven co-defendants arrested in June 2006 appear before a judge. Five men were convicted today.
Six of the seven co-defendants arrested in June 2006 appear before a judge. Five men were convicted today.   (AP Photo)
Ringleader Narseal Batiste was on the vast majority of hundreds of FBI audio and video tapes.
Ringleader Narseal Batiste was on the vast majority of hundreds of FBI audio and video tapes.   (US Attorney's Office)
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COMMENTS
Showing 1 of 1 comment
justme
May 13, 2009 12:57 PM CDT
Nobody wants to comment on who was president when these guys were arrested?

Copyright 2012 Newser, LLC. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. AP contributed to this report.

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