Alexanda Kotey, a member of the Islamic State (ISIS) terror cell nicknamed “The Beatles”, was sentenced to life in prison on Friday by a US District Judge, the BBC reported.
Kotey pleaded guilty in September to taking part in a hostage scheme that led to the deaths of Americans, Japanese and British citizens in Syria. As part of his plea, Kotey will be transferred to the UK where members of his family live to serve the rest of his term after serving 15 years in the US.
Kotey and another member of “The Beatles”, El Shafee Elsheikh, were charged in October of 2020 with torture, beheadings and other acts of violence against four Americans and others captured and held hostage in Syria.
Elsheikh was convicted two weeks ago for his role in the hostage-taking scheme.
The ISIS cell was nicknamed “The Beatles” by surviving captives because of their English accents.
The group's leader, Mohammed Emwazi who was known as “Jihadi John, was killed in an air strike in 2015 in Syria after an intensive manhunt.
A fourth member of the so-called “Beatles”, Aine Davis, is imprisoned in Turkey on terrorism charges.
The convictions on all eight counts in US District Court in Alexandria revolved around the deaths of four American hostages: American journalist James Foley, Steven Sotloff, Peter Kassig and Kayla Mueller.
“The Beatles” are also believed to be behind the beheadings of British aid workers David Haines and Allan Henning, and Japanese hostage Kenji Goto.
(Israel National News' North American desk is keeping you updated until the start of Shabbat in New York. The time posted automatically on all Israel National News articles, however, is Israeli time.)