Chelsea bomber gets multiple life sentences for Manhattan Attack

On February 13, Ahmad Khan Rahami, a naturalized US citizen, born in Afghanistan and who lived in New Jersey was sentenced to multiple terms of life in prison.

In September 2016, Rahami’s homemade bombs exploded in Manhattan’s Chelsea neighborhood, thereby injuring 30 civilians. A second bomb planted nearby did not detonate. However, while his session at the court, Rahimi not once apologize for the bombing that had led to the ripples of fear throughout the city.

He was condemned in the federal court in October 2017 on eight counts, including use and attempted use of weapons of mass destruction, bombing a public place, destroying property by means of explosives and use of a destructive device in furtherance of a crime of violence.

“He is proud of what he did, scornful of the American justice system, and as dedicated as ever to his terrorist ideology,” Federal prosecutors wrote. Rahami, given a chance to speak at his sentencing, said: “I don’t harbor hate for anyone but through life experience, I have learned to understand why there’s such frustration between the Muslim community overseas and the American people.”

The prosecutors said that Rahami gave inmates copies of terrorist propaganda and jihadist materials, including speeches and lectures by al-Qaida founder Osama bin Laden and Anwar al-Awlaki, a U.S.-born cleric who inspired attacks on America and was killed in a U.S. airstrike in September 2011.

Rahimi also permitted inmates to view materials on his laptop or provided electronic copies as he spread "The Book of Jihad," bomb-making instructions and various issues of a propaganda magazine.

In addition to the multiple life sentences in prison, Rahimi was also directed to pay $562,803 in restitution.