Ali Kourani, 35, from New York was convicted of providing material support to Hezbollah by seeking targets in New York City for terrorist attacks and was sentenced Tuesday to 40 years in prison.
U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman said in a release that the Lebanese-born Kourani spent years conducting surveillance at federal buildings, airports including Kennedy International Airport and even daycare centers after he was recruited, trained and deployed by Hezbollah's Islamic Jihad Organization.
The prosecutor said Kourani was the first operative of the group to be convicted and sentenced for his crimes against the U.S.