{"id":15130,"date":"2015-08-31T16:34:37","date_gmt":"2015-08-31T23:34:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cjnotebook.com\/?p=15130"},"modified":"2015-11-25T07:47:22","modified_gmt":"2015-11-25T15:47:22","slug":"man-who-wanted-to-detonate-bomb-at-airport-sentenced-to-20-years","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cjnotebook.com\/?p=15130","title":{"rendered":"Man Who Wanted to Detonate Bomb at Airport Sentenced to 20 Years (News Video)"},"content":{"rendered":"

KANSAS<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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\"Dwight<\/a>
Wichita Dwight D. Eisenhower National Airport<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

A federal judge sentenced a 60-year-old Kansas man who told an undercover federal employee that he was waiting for the “green light” from Allah to detonate a bomb at the airport and attack civilian targets to 20 years in prison.<\/span><\/p>\n

Officials said Terry Lee Loewen<\/strong>, of Wichita, plead guilty in June to attempting to explode a car bomb at the Wichita Mid-Continent Airport.\u00a0<\/strong>The airport was recently renamed Wichita Dwight D. Eisenhower National Airport<\/strong>, officials stated.<\/span><\/p>\n

He was charged with one count of attempting to use a weapon of mass destruction.<\/span><\/p>\n

Loewen told the undercover employee that he didn’t expect to live through any of the attacks, officials stated. He also said he inspired by the teachings of Osama bin Laden<\/strong> and Anwar al-Awlaki,<\/strong> and that he had download thousands of pages of information on jihad, according to authorities.<\/span><\/p>\n

Loewen, Wichita, Kansas resident, worked as an avionic technician for an aeronautics company and possessed restricted access to secure airport areas.<\/span><\/p>\n

Loewen said he could go over to the airport “slap some C-4 on some fuel trucks” before the Transportation Security Administration or TSA was alerted, officials said. \u00a0He also used his airport badge card reader to get on the tarmac before he was arrested on December 2013, officials said.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cTerry Loewen abused his privileged airport access to attempt to perpetrate a terrorist attack in Wichita,\u201d said Assistant Attorney General John Carlin.<\/strong>\u00a0 \u201cThe National Security Division\u2019s highest priority is protecting the United States against terrorist threats.\u00a0 We will continue to pursue justice against those who seek to carry out violent attacks against Americans, whether at home or abroad.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

In his guilty plea, the evidence against Loewen was spelled out:<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

    \n
  • He came to the attention of the FBI late in May 2013 when he became a Facebook friend of a person who was posting comments advocating violent jihad.<\/span><\/li>\n
  • The FBI began communicating with Loewen through an undercover employee.\u00a0 After Loewen expressed his desire to engage in violent jihad, the undercover employee offered to introduce him to someone who could help him do it.<\/span><\/li>\n
  • Loewen told the undercover employee he was waiting for what he called \u201cthe green light\u201d from Allah to carry out a violent attack on a civilian target.<\/span><\/li>\n
  • In September 2013, Loewen sent photos of airplanes on the tarmac at the Wichita airport. \u00a0He commented that he could have \u201cwalked over there, shot both pilots \u2026 slapped some C4 on both fuel trucks and set them off before anyone even called TSA.\u201d<\/span><\/li>\n
  • In October 2013, Loewen met with a second undercover FBI employee who Loewen believed was a \u201cbrother\u201d and would help him blow up a plane. Loewen said he had scouted the airport to determine a time and place for an attack that would kill as many people as possible.<\/span><\/li>\n
  • Loewen assisted the second FBI employee in the final assembly of an improvised explosive device.\u00a0 He was not aware that the explosive materials used in the device were inert.<\/span><\/li>\n
  • In the early hours of Dec. 13, 2013, the second FBI employee picked up Loewen at a Wichita hotel.\u00a0 They drove to where the bomb was stored and finished wiring the device.<\/span><\/li>\n
  • When they reached the airport, Loewen twice used his airport badge at a card reader to attempt to get onto the tarmac before he was arrested.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    (December 2013 TV News Report)<\/strong><\/p>\n