David Coleman Headley was sentenced to 35 years in federal prison Thursday morning primarily for his role in planning the 2008 Mumbai terrorist attacks that killed more than 160 people including six Americans.
The Pakistani-American pleaded guilty to 12 terrorism-related counts in 2011. In exchange for his cooperation with U.S. and Indian authorities, American prosecutors didn't seek the death penalty.
"There is little question that life imprisonment would be an appropriate punishment," prosecutors said in a paper detailing sentencing factors. Yet the government didn't recommend a life sentence for the 52-year-old. U.S. attorneys instead recommended a sentence of 30 to 35 years, citing the "uniquely significant value" of his cooperation.
After Mr. Headley's arrest, he began offering assistance to federal authorities immediately, providing in-depth information about terror organizations, prosecutors said. The full scope of his assistance isn't publicly known, because he also provided "other information to assist authorities" which is currently classified, according to court documents.
"Mr. Headley is a terrorist," Judge Harry Leinenweber said before issuing the sentence. "The easy thing for me to do would be to impose the death penalty, because that's what he deserves."
Last week, co-conspirator Tahawwur Rana was sentenced to 14 years in prison for his role in the terror attacks. The conviction was due in large part to Mr. Headley's testimony against the Chicago businessman. They met when they both attended a Pakistani boarding school as teenagers.
Mr. Headley, whose original name was Daood Gilani, was born in Washington, D.C., to an American mother and a Pakistani father. After being raised in Pakistan, he returned to the U.S., eventually serving two prison sentences for narcotics trafficking. After his second release, he moved back to Pakistan and attended five separate training camps run by terrorist organization Lashkar-e-Tayyiba, according to U.S. attorneys documents.
In 2006, he changed his name, prosecutors said, to make it easier to travel to India and Pakistan. He also began shuttling to Mumbai to conduct surveillance in preparation for the 2008 terror attacks, opening a branch office of Mr. Rana's immigration service as a cover, prosecutors say.
The two men didn't take direct part in the 2008 attacks, but Mr. Headley's advance surveillance, facilitated in part by Mr. Rana, contributed to the complex attack involving multiple gunmen assisted by remotely located organizers who provided real-time directions to the attackers via radio.
Mr. Headley was arrested at O'Hare International Airport in 2009 before he could board a flight to Pakistan to aid in planning an attack on a Danish newspaper that printed cartoons depicting the Prophet Mohammad, prosecutors said. Conspirators hoped to behead newspaper employees and throw the heads onto Copenhagen streets, prosecutors said. The sentence Mr. Headley received Thursday was also for charges he was convicted of related to the plot to attack the Danish newspaper.
Information that Mr. Headley gave to federal officials has led to criminal charges against at least seven other people, none of whom are in American custody, prosecutors said.
The Pakistani-American pleaded guilty to 12 terrorism-related counts in 2011. In exchange for his cooperation with U.S. and Indian authorities, American prosecutors didn't seek the death penalty.
"There is little question that life imprisonment would be an appropriate punishment," prosecutors said in a paper detailing sentencing factors. Yet the government didn't recommend a life sentence for the 52-year-old. U.S. attorneys instead recommended a sentence of 30 to 35 years, citing the "uniquely significant value" of his cooperation.
After Mr. Headley's arrest, he began offering assistance to federal authorities immediately, providing in-depth information about terror organizations, prosecutors said. The full scope of his assistance isn't publicly known, because he also provided "other information to assist authorities" which is currently classified, according to court documents.
"Mr. Headley is a terrorist," Judge Harry Leinenweber said before issuing the sentence. "The easy thing for me to do would be to impose the death penalty, because that's what he deserves."
Last week, co-conspirator Tahawwur Rana was sentenced to 14 years in prison for his role in the terror attacks. The conviction was due in large part to Mr. Headley's testimony against the Chicago businessman. They met when they both attended a Pakistani boarding school as teenagers.
Mr. Headley, whose original name was Daood Gilani, was born in Washington, D.C., to an American mother and a Pakistani father. After being raised in Pakistan, he returned to the U.S., eventually serving two prison sentences for narcotics trafficking. After his second release, he moved back to Pakistan and attended five separate training camps run by terrorist organization Lashkar-e-Tayyiba, according to U.S. attorneys documents.
In 2006, he changed his name, prosecutors said, to make it easier to travel to India and Pakistan. He also began shuttling to Mumbai to conduct surveillance in preparation for the 2008 terror attacks, opening a branch office of Mr. Rana's immigration service as a cover, prosecutors say.
The two men didn't take direct part in the 2008 attacks, but Mr. Headley's advance surveillance, facilitated in part by Mr. Rana, contributed to the complex attack involving multiple gunmen assisted by remotely located organizers who provided real-time directions to the attackers via radio.
Mr. Headley was arrested at O'Hare International Airport in 2009 before he could board a flight to Pakistan to aid in planning an attack on a Danish newspaper that printed cartoons depicting the Prophet Mohammad, prosecutors said. Conspirators hoped to behead newspaper employees and throw the heads onto Copenhagen streets, prosecutors said. The sentence Mr. Headley received Thursday was also for charges he was convicted of related to the plot to attack the Danish newspaper.
Information that Mr. Headley gave to federal officials has led to criminal charges against at least seven other people, none of whom are in American custody, prosecutors said.
Source : Wall Street Journal
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