WASHINGTON, May 28 (IslamOnline & News Agencies) - The Seattle Times reported Saturday that Ahmed Ressam, an Algerian man facing up to 140 years in prison for his April conviction in a bomb plot, is trying to win a lighter sentence by cooperating for the first time with federal prosecutors.
Although Ressam, 33, is to be sentenced June 28th, his sentencing could be postponed to allow him to testify in the July trial of alleged co-conspirator Mokhtar Haouri in New York, reported the Times.
The newspaper quoted sources close to the talks as saying that after more than 17 months of silence, Ressam has provided federal authorities with "a major breakthrough" in their ongoing investigation into the alleged plot to bomb U.S. sites at the turn of the millennium.
The sources refused to give further details, as did Ressam's lawyers and Jerry Diskin, chief prosecutor in the case and now interim U.S. attorney in Seattle.
Ressam, who had lived in Canada since 1994, was arrested in December 1999 after authorities say he tried to cross into the United States from Canada with a car containing bomb-making materials.
He was convicted in Los Angeles, after a month-long trial, of conspiring to commit international terrorism and eight related counts. Because of pretrial publicity and security concerns, Ressam's trial was moved to Los Angeles from Seattle.
Ressam was also charged with knowingly possessing a false identification document and impersonating another and attempting to evade immigration laws.
Prosecutors believe that he has information about Saudi businessman Osama bin Laden.
