'Teddy Bear' ISIS Conspirator Sentenced To 13 Years In Prison

An Illinois man was sentenced to more than 13 years in prison on Friday after he was found guilty of conspiring to provide material support to the Islamic State group (ISIS).

A federal judge sentenced 39-year-old Edward Schimenti to 162 months in prison after he collected and supplied cellphones to undercover federal agents thinking they would be used as detonators for explosives in ISIS attacks, the Department of Justice (DOJ) said in a statement. The Zion resident was also convicted for making false statements to the FBI.

Schimenti was convicted in 2019 with co-conspirator Joseph Jones, also 39. Jones, for his part, received a 12-year sentence last month. Federal prosecutors originally asked for Schimenti to be given a 20-year sentence while they sought a 17-year sentence for Jones.

U.S. District Judge Andrea Wood called Schimenti the "more culpable" of the two, noting he had a "better idea of what he was getting himself into." Wood, however, also described the crime as "on the less serious end of a scale that starts a very serious level."

The two men attracted the attention of federal authorities when they voiced their support for the terrorist group on social media, the Chicago Sun Times reported. Schimenti reportedly said in a post, "Islamic State will control your country, matter of fact, Islam will dominate the world!"

According to the DOJ, Schimenti began meeting with undercover FBI agents in 2015.

"During the meetings, Schimenti discussed his devotion to ISIS and his commitment to ISIS principles," the DOJ said.

The DOJ also said Schimenti drove with an undercover agent to O'Hare International Airport in Chicago thinking the agent was traveling to Syria to fight with ISIS.

The lawyers for both Schimenti and Jones insisted the federal authorities' actions were considered entrapment, with Schimenti's lawyers saying in a memo that they "infiltrated every part" of Schimenti's life and created a "false reality."

"Mr. Schimenti only acted when the government placed the opportunity before him and then consistently manipulated him over an extended period until he took the bait," lawyers Joshua Adams and Stephen Hall said in the memo.

They pointed out that no terrorist group "ever took [Schimenti] seriously."

During the sentencing hearing on Friday, Schimenti told Wood he was "just a big teddy bear" and not a terrorist, according to Fox News.

"I have a heart. I have feelings. I have emotions," Schimenti added.

Schimenti also reportedly apologized before receiving his sentence from Wood, telling the judge, "In the end, your honor, really I guess I'm just asking for another chance at life."