American who wanted to become LeT executioner sentenced to 15 years

NEW YORK: An American who wanted to go to Pakistan to become an executioner for the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorist organisation has been sentenced in a US federal court here to 15 years in prison. Federal Judge Ronnie Abrams sentenced on Tuesday Jesus Wilfredo Encarnacion, who had admitted before the judge in January to "attempting to provide material support" to the LeT, which carried out the 2008 Mumbai attacks that killed more than 170 people.

"Encarnacion plotted to travel abroad, to join and train with Lashkar-e-Tayyiba, infamous worldwide for the jihadist murder of innocent civilians, and to carry out shootings, bombings, and beheadings in behalf of that terrorist the organisation," said Audrey Strauss, the acting federal prosecutor in New York, after the sentencing.

Assistant Attorney General for National Security John C Demers said, "The National Security Division remains committed to identifying and holding accountable those who seek to join and support designated foreign terrorist organisations.

Encarnacion, 30, was arrested by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) at New York's JFK Airport in February last year when he tried to take a flight to Europe on his way to Pakistan to join the LeT.

He and his LeT recruiter Michael Kyle Sewell had been tracked by undercover FBI agents or informants, who recorded their interactions, which were introduced in court filings obtained by IANS. Sewell was only 18 years at that time and has been sentenced in September to 20 years in prison for his role in the conspiracy. (IANS)

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