Man from California sentenced to more than 15 years in jail in Islamic State support case

In defending 23-year-old Amer Alhaggagi, his lawyer called him “a class clown” — “a prankster who did not know when he was crossing the line.” But federal prosecutors consider him an ISIS supporter, caught before he could activate his plot to kill 10,000 San Francisco-area residents by planting bombs, blowing up a gay bar, setting fires and distributing poisoned cocaine in night clubs.

Defense attorney Mary McNamera’s argued in federal court Tuesday that Alhaggagi is an “all-American boy” who was “playing a game.” His argument did not prevail. Judge Charles Breyer sentenced Alhaggagi to more than 15 years in prison, saying “words matter.”

“The most disturbing thing in Alhaggagi is the lack of empathy for others,” Breyer said. “That is chilling.”

Source: CBS News