Pak cabbie in Chicago gets 7 1/2 years for funding terror mastermind Ilyas Kashmiri

Chicago, June 9 (ANI): A Pakistani-born Chicago taxi driver was sentenced to seven and a half years in prison for attempting to send money to a terrorist with alleged links to Al-Qaeda.

Raja Lahrasib Khan, 58, apologised in the court for seeking to send funds to Pakistan-based terrorist Ilyas Kashmiri.

"I made a bad decision. I did something for which I am ashamed. Your honor, I ask for your mercy," The Dawn quoted Khan, as saying.

Khan pleaded guilty in February to one count of attempting to provide material support to terrorism. His plea agreement recommended a relatively lenient five to eight year sentence- well short of the 15-year maximum- as a concession for Khan's willingness to cooperate with authorities.

After Khan's arrest, authorities accused him of taking steps to send cash to Kashmiri after Kashmiri indicated he needed money for explosives. Khan believed Kashmiri was getting orders from Osama Bin Laden, prosecutors said.

He sent 950 dollars in 2009 to an individual in Pakistan for delivery to Kashmiri; he also took 1,000 dollars from an undercover agent, allegedly believing that it would be used to buy weapons and possibly other supplies, the paper stated.

While he was never charged with a terror attempt, the original complaint said Khan talked about planting bags of bombs in an unspecified stadium.

Judge James Zagel said "Khan knew Kashmiri's plan" was to use the money to terrorise. (ANI)