Five men were convicted today of conspiracy to kill US soldiers in a planned attack on an army base in New Jersey that prosecutors described as a bid to wage Islamist holy war against America.
The US attorney said he would seek life sentences for the five foreign-born defendants, who were also found not guilty on charges of attempted murder after an eight-week trial.
Prosecutors had told the court the defendants were inspired by al-Qaeda. Defense attorneys had argued that while the men talked the talk of militancy, it was all bravado and they had no real intention of carrying out the attack on Fort Dix army base, which was never executed.
Family members and defense lawyers said they believed the verdicts were influenced by suspicion of Muslims since the September 11 al-Qaeda attacks.
The defendants, all born outside the United States, are ethnic Albanian brothers Shain, Dritan and Eljvir Duka who together ran a roofing business in Cherry Hill, New Jersey; Serdar Tatar, a convenience store clerk who was born in Turkey; and Mohamad
Shnewer, a Jordanian-born taxi driver from Philadelphia. They are aged 23 to 30.
Acting US Attorney Ralph Marra said prosecutors will press for sentences of life in prison without the possibility of parole. Sentencing was set for April 22-23rd.
Dritan and Shain Duka were also found guilty of possessing weapons to be used in the planned attack.
The five defendants smiled as they entered the court but did not react visibly when the verdicts were read. Defense lawyers said they would consider an appeal after sentencing.