2 mosque leaders get 15-year terms
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Two leaders of an Albany mosque who were snared in an FBI sting were sentenced to 15 years in federal prison.
The former imam, Yassin Aref, professed innocence before his sentencing and criticized the government’s treatment of Muslims. “I never had any intention to harm anyone in this country,” said Aref, a Kurdish refugee.
Pizzeria owner Mohammed Hossain, a founder of the Masjid As-Salam mosque, said he knew nothing about bombs or terrorism. The two were convicted in October for their roles in a money-laundering scheme involving an FBI informant who posed as an illegal arms dealer.
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