Idaho Terrorist Sentenced to 25 Years in Prison

BOISE, Idaho (AP) — An Uzbek refugee authorities say had an unwavering commitment to kill personnel at a military base or civilians at crowded Fourth of July celebrations in downtown Boise, Idaho, has been sentenced to 25 years in prison.

Fazliddin Kurbanov received the sentence Thursday and a $250,000 fine. A federal jury in August convicted Kurbanov of conspiracy, attempting to support a terrorist organization and possession of bomb-making components. Prosecutors say the 33-year-old Russian-speaking truck driver who fled Uzbekistan in 2009 downloaded jihadist and martyrdom videos from a terrorist website.

Authorities monitored his communications and arrested him in 2013. Kurbanov maintained his innocence and told the court he wasn't a terrorist. But U.S. District Judge Edward Lodge in handing down the sentence said Kurbanov planned to commit jihad against the United States.