Man admits plotting to blow up federal courthouse in Springfield, gets 28-year sentence

Source: Associated Press

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — A part-time fry cook and would-be terrorist admitted plotting to blow up a federal courthouse in the Illinois capital city and was sentenced Monday to 28 years in prison.

Michael Finton, 31, pleaded guilty to one count of attempted use of a weapon of mass destruction against a federal building in downtown Springfield in September 2009. The blast also was supposed to destroy the nearby office of U.S. Rep. Aaron Schock.

Although Finton thought he was planning the attack with a member of al-Qaida, he was actually talking to an undercover government agent.

Finton, who also went by the name Talib Islam, parked a van in front of the courthouse, believing the van was packed with explosives. Then he made a cellphone call that he thought would trigger the blast.

Read more: http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/man_admits_plotting_to_blow_up_federal_courthouse_in_illinois_capital_gets_28_year_sentence/2011/05/09/AFHz8lbG_story.html

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interestingly it was reported today that Rep. Schock (a Republican) is on the cover of the June Men's Health magazine bare-chested