DoJ: Canadian Who Plotted New York Terror Attacks Sentenced 40 Years in Prison

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - The United States has sentenced Canadian citizen Abdulrahman El Bahnasawy to 40 years in prison for plotting terrorist attacks in New York City in support of the Daesh terror group, the US Department of Justice said in a release.

"Abdulrahman El Bahnasawy, 20, of Mississauga, Canada, was sentenced to 40 years in prison, and a lifetime of supervised release, for plotting to carry out terrorist attacks in New York City during the summer of 2016 in support of the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS)[Daesh], a designated foreign terrorist organization," the release said on Wednesday.

The Justice Department explained that El Bahnasawy cooperated with US citizen Talha Haroon, who currently resides in Pakistan, and Philippine citizen Russell Salic in plotting the terrorist attacks.

The three men used encrypted messages to conduct bombings and shootings in heavily populated areas of New York City during the Islamic holy month of Ramadan in 2016, the Justice Department said.

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El Bahnasawy and Haroon prepared to conduct terrorist attacks, while their conspirator from the Philippines was responsible for financing the terror operations, the Justice Department added.

El Bahnasawy pleaded guilty on October 13, 2016 to a seven-count indictment that charged him with terrorism offenses, according to the statement.

Daesh (also known as ISIS/ISIL/IS) is a terrorist group banned in Russia.