An Ohio woman was sentenced to 40 months in prison Wednesday for her role in a conspiracy to send hundreds of thousands of dollars to the Hizbullah terrorist organization in Lebanon, Agence France Presse reported.
Amera Akl, 38, of Toledo, Ohio, pleaded guilty last month to one count of conspiracy to provide material support and resources to a designated foreign terrorist organization, the US Justice Department officials said.
"Money is the lifeblood of terrorist organizations, and stopping the flow is a key component to choking off these organizations," Steven Dettelbach, US Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio, said in a statement.
According to court documents Akl and her husband, Hor Akl, met with a confidential informant working for the FBI between August 2009 and June 2010 "to discuss ways to secretly send money to Hizbullah leaders in Lebanon."
While Akl was present, her husband told the informant he knew the money was being transported to "terrorists," and that the Akls agreed to send money by "concealing it inside a 2004 Chevrolet Trailblazer, which they planned to send to Lebanon via a container ship," the court documents said.
During one meeting Amera Akl told the source she "dreamed of dressing like Hizbullah, carrying a gun and dying as a martyr."
On June 3, 2010, the Akls were given $200,000 by the source to ship to Hizbullah.
In addition to her 40-month sentence, Amera Akl will have a mandatory three years of supervised release.
Hor Akl, 38, pleaded guilty last month to a total of five counts, including conspiracy to provide material support and resources to a designated foreign terrorist organization and conspiracy to violate money laundering statutes.
He will be sentenced later this year, Justice Department sources said.