Pa. Man Gets 8 Years for Promoting Terrorism Against US

Also for having a concealed gun and biting an FBI agent

A western Pennsylvania man whom authorities called a "homegrown, radical extremist" was sentenced Tuesday to 8 ½ years in prison for helping lead an Internet forum that promoted terrorist attacks against American military and civilian targets.

The sentence for Emerson Begolly, 24, formerly of Redbank Township, also includes time for having a concealed gun and biting an FBI agent when he was arrested in 2011.

Begolly apologized for his posts and disavowed his stated beliefs, telling the judge his comments were "completely reckless. No good would have come from making such comments."

Comments

[JeremyR]

It's hard to tell from the article, but presumably he was Islamic

"His online persona, "Abu Nancy," referred to a fantasy female friend. Begolly got involved in the Web forum less because of the ideas espoused than because he received praise there, Sims argued."

"In previous hearings, FBI agents testified that Begolly chatted online with Chesser and LaRose, a suburban Philadelphia woman who dubbed herself "Jihad Jane."

LaRose pleaded guilty in 2011 to conspiring with others to try to kill a Swedish cartoonist who had offended Muslims and faces life in prison when she's sentenced in October.

Chesser, of Bristow, Va., is serving 25 years in prison after pleading guilty to threatening the creators of the irreverent "South Park" cartoon series for perceived insults to the prophet Muhammad, and for trying to travel to Somalia to join the al-Shabab terrorist group.