CINCINNATI — A federal judge who voiced doubts about a man’s remorse and commitment against jihadist violence Monday sentenced him to 30 years in prison for plotting to attack the U.S. Capitol, drawing an outburst in support of Allah as he was led away in shackles.
U.S. District Judge Sandra Beckwith also ordered lifetime probation after prison for Christopher Lee Cornell, 22, including monitoring of his computer use and sharp restrictions on what he can do online. He earlier offered apologies and urged her to give him “a second chance,” then afterward called the court system “rigged” and shouted: “Allah is in control, not this judge!”
Beckwith said his plot was “horrific,” saying Cornell “took active steps to commit mass murder. …Additionally, he wanted to assassinate the president.”
Cornell of Cincinnati earlier pleaded guilty to three charges including attempted murder of U.S. officials and employees in a plot in support of the Islamic State.
A psychologist who has met with Cornell repeatedly since his January 2015 arrest testified for the defense, which contended that he was a withdrawn loner with mental issues who self-radicalized while spending hours reading online “radical Islamic propaganda.” Attorney Martin Pinales scoffed at Cornell’s plan to carry a semi-automatic rifle into the Capitol building during President Barack Obama’s 2015 State of the Union address and open fire on the president, members of Congress and others.
“This whole plan was a magical plan,” Pinales said, depicting it as a result of Cornell’s distorted thinking influenced by a confidential informant.
Prosecutors played a 15-minute video of Cornell excitedly discussing attacking Washington with the informant and mentioning the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade and Times Square on New Year’s Eve as places that could have been possible targets. Authorities said Cornell also discussed attacking the Israeli embassy in Washington.
