Page 7 - Aruba Today
P. 7
U.S. NEWS A7
Thursday 4 February 2016
Kansas man pleads guilty
in plot to bomb Army post
JOHN HANNA Booker before his arrest ing Americans “today we This 2010 yearbook file photo provided by Topeka Public
Associated Press said at the time that Booker will bring the Islamic State Schools from a Topeka West High School shows John Booker.
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A was acting strangely in the straight to your doorstep.”
Kansas man whose law- days leading up to it. In court, Redmond once Associated Press
yer says he is mentally ill Booker pleaded guilty to referred to Booker as Mu-
pleaded guilty Wednesday one count of attempting to hammad. Booker had an
in connection with a plot to use a weapon of mass de- alias, Muhammad Abdul-
plant a bomb outside an struction and one count of lah Hassan.
Army post, acknowledging attempting to destroy gov- The presentation of the
that he wanted to aid the ernment property with an plea agreement to Mur-
Islamic State group. explosive device. The plea guia was delayed after
John T. Booker Jr. of Topeka agreement recommend- the judge announced in
admitted in court to trying ed a sentence of 30 years court that Booker had sent
to set off what he thought on the first charge and 20 him a letter. The judge did
was a 1,000-pound bomb years on the second, to be not disclose its contents
in a van outside Fort Riley, served at the same time. A and conferred with Booker
about 60 miles west of To- conviction on the weap- and Redmond privately for
peka. He signed a plea ons-of-mass-destruction several minutes; Redmond
agreement with prosecu- charge could have led to then left the courtroom
tors that recommends he life in prison. with two prosecutors for a
spend 30 years in prison. As part of the plea deal, few minutes.q
Booker, 21, was arrested prosecutors dropped a
outside the post in April charge of attempting to
2015 as he was trying to provide material support to
arm what he believed was the Islamic State group.
the bomb. He had been Booker initially pleaded not
plotting the bombing with guilty to all three charges,
two contacts who actu- but notified Murguia in De-
ally were confidential FBI cember that he wanted
sources.“If this defendant to change his pleas. His
had succeeded, American hearing Wednesday was
soldiers would have died,” scheduled to allow him to
Barry Grissom, the U.S. at- do that. Murguia has not
torney for Kansas, said af- yet scheduled a sentenc-
ter Booker’s court hearing. ing hearing. He advised
“The investigators and the Booker that in any criminal
attorneys who worked on case, the judge does not
this case were our line of have to follow the recom-
defense against terrorism.” mendations in plea agree-
During the hearing, defense ments. “There’s no limit on
attorney Kirk Redmond told the information the court
U.S. District Judge Carlos could consider,” Murguia
Murguia that Booker has said. Still, when the judge
been diagnosed with bipo- asked whether Booker still
lar disorder, which is char- wanted to plead guilty, he
acterized by mood swings answered, “Yes,” in a calm
that can affect function- voice.
ing. Redmond said Booker Booker acknowledged in
is taking medication for court that he told one of
the disorder, which Booker the FBI informants that he
confirmed in court. wanted to kill Americans
Neither Redmond nor and engage in violent ji-
Booker said whether the had on behalf of the Is-
disorder was a factor in lamic State group. His plea
Booker’s actions. A Mus- agreement said he made
lim cleric who counseled a video in April 2015 tell-
