A Somali-American man has been sentenced to 30 years in prison for conspiring to provide material support to Islamic State.
Mohamed Farah, 22, is one of nine young men in Minnesota's large Somali community who are being sentenced this week for plotting to join the militant group.
Farah was one of three defendants who refused to plead guilty and took his case to a jury trial. He was found guilty in May of conspiring to join IS and commit murder abroad.
After sentencing Farah, Judge Michael Davis said, "This community has to understand there is jihadist cell in this community. Its tentacles spread out."
Relatives of Farah cried outside the court after the sentencing. His mother, Ayan Farah, said her son did not get a fair trial and did not receive a fair sentence.
Five other defendants were sentenced Monday and Tuesday, including Farah's brother. Adnan Farah, who pleaded guilty, was sentenced to 10 years in prison.
Prosecutors said they were part of a group of friends who began inspiring each other to join Islamic State militants in the spring of 2014. Some of their friends made it to Syria, but the nine who were prosecuted did not.
Two more defendants, Abdirahman Daud and Guled Omar, will be sentenced Wednesday.
VOA’s Harun Maruf contributed to this report from Washington; Abdi Mahamud contributed to the report from Minneapolis.
