Six years after the FBI uncovered a terrorist plot in
a compound in northern New Mexico,
the five people responsible now know their sentence,
with four of them facing life in prison.
News 13 Madison Connor was at the courthouse today and
has the very latest Madison.
Today, the New Mexico United States Attorney said that all
of the children are all of our children and that
was at the heart of this case.
The horrifying events that played out in graphic detail during
this three-week trial Radical ideologies to violent extremist beliefs.
The banality of everyday life centered around the corpse of
a dead child.
Siraj Wahaj, who, Raj Mahajan and Savannah Wahhaj and Lucas
Morton all were sentenced to life in prison for their
involvement.
Federal agents say the group provided financial support as well
as guns,
ammo and training to prepare for an attack from the
FBI.
They were based at a well fortified compound in Amalia,
NM. The ringleader, Janie Lavelle took a plea deal and
was found to have acute schizophrenia that led to delusion,
hallucinations and she heard voices that led her to believe
she was a prophet and caused everything that unfolded.
Lavelle spoke today in court apologizing for her part and
for leading her Co defendants to believe the voices she
was hearing,
stating that this wouldn't have happened if she wasn't sick,
which played a role in her sensing.
She took responsibility, She took it early and she took
it fully.
And here in the United States justice system,
we value folks who redeemed themselves by taking responsibility for
the terrible things that they did.
Now the government asked for 17 years for Lavelle,
while the defense argued for 12 years.
Ultimately, the judge decided on 15 years behind bars.
Back to you. All right,
Madison, thank you. Once Lavelle's term is complete,
the plea deal agreed that she will be deported back
to Haiti because she was in the country illegally.