US

Man Convicted For Planning To Behead Pamela Geller Over Muhammad Cartoon Contest

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Jurors convicted the man on trial for plotting to kill conservative author Pamela Geller over her Prophet Muhammad cartoon contest Wednesday.

The jury found 28-year-old David Wright guilty of conspiracy to commit acts of terrorism transcending national boundaries and conspiracy to provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization, Boston Herald reported.

Wright testified that he used ISIS propaganda for attention, but insisted he was just pretending and never intended to act violently.

The defendant searched online for swords, guns, and sleep tranquilizers. He also searched for recruits to his “martyrdom operation cell” via Twitter, wrote a manifesto cautioning that America’s “days are numbered,” and obtained ISIS videos and files.

“I didn’t want my uncle to get hurt. I didn’t want law enforcement to get hurt,” Wright said. “I lost someone who was very close to me because I was so deluded and self-centered that I couldn’t see beyond my own need for attention.”

Wright referenced his uncle, Ussamah Rahim, who was also part of the conspiracy and was killed by police after he tried to attack them with a knife. Wright called Rahim’s attempt to assault the officers “beautiful” when his uncle told him about the attack hours before its execution. Rahim had purchased three knives for Wright, himself, and a third conspirator, to be used in their attempt to assassinate Geller.

Wright faces a sanction of up to life in prison. Nicholas Rovinski, the third conspirator who testified that Wright said Geller “deserved to be beheaded” for mocking Muhammad, faces 15 to 22 years of prison time.

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