A man who plotted to blow up New York City subway stations in 2009 could soon walk out of prison.
Najibullah Zazi, 33, received a sentence on the same amount of time he already served helping officials go against al Qaeda, the New York Post reported Thursday. Zazi and two other people planned to blow themselves up at Times Square station and Grand Central Station during rush hour before law enforcement caught them.
“You came with hard-working and honorable people,” Judge Raymond Dearie said Thursday, the Post reported. “We welcomed you. But you turned on us.”
He faced up to life in prison, but has helped inform officials over the past 10 years.
Dearie agreed with prosecutors that Zazi should receive a break because of his cooperation to provide knowledge on other terror-related plots. Zazi helped with several investigations by meeting with government more than 100 times, the Post reported.
DENVER, COLORADO – SEPTEMEBER 17: Najibullah Zazi (R), 24, arrives at the Byron G. Rogers Federal Building in downtown with his attorney Art Folsom (not pictured) September 17, 2009 in Denver, Colorado. Zazi has been undergoing questioning at the FBI’s Denver branch for suspected involvement in a terrorism plot involving peroxide-based explosives. Getty Images/ Marc Piscotty
“I tried my best to correct my horrific mistake by cooperating with the government,” Zazi said. (RELATED: 78-Year-Old Woman Kicked On Face On NYC Subway, Bleeds As Onlookers Do Nothing)
He will be under a lifetime of supervised release by the U.S. Department of Probation. He will also be required to provide his services to prosecutors and agents.
Zazi was born in Afghanistan and came to the U.S. as a refugee from Pakistan at 14 years old, the Post reported.
All content created by the Daily Caller News Foundation, an independent and nonpartisan newswire service, is available without charge to any legitimate news publisher that can provide a large audience. All republished articles must include our logo, our reporter’s byline and their DCNF affiliation. For any questions about our guidelines or partnering with us, please contact licensing@dailycallernewsfoundation.org.