US man sentenced to 160 years in prison in Chicago courthouse bomb plot

[NNN0LHI]

http://www.khaleejtimes.com/DisplayArticle.asp?xfile=data/theworld/2006/January/theworld_January287.xml§ion=theworld&col=

CHICAGO - A counterfeiter who prosecutors say hated the US government so much he dreamed of causing more destruction than Oklahoma City bomber Timothy McVeigh was sentenced to a maximum 160 years in prison for plotting to blow up Chicago’s federal courthouse.

Gale Nettles, 66, was sentenced Thursday to eight consecutive 20-year sentences by Judge John F. Keenan of US District Court in Manhattan, who was brought in to preside over the trial after Chicago’s federal judges were recused from the case.

Two of the 20-year sentences were for plotting to blow up the Everett M. Dirksen federal courthouse, a 28-story glass and steel structure in downtown Chicago. The others were for counterfeiting $20 and $100 bills. snip

Fox described Nettles as a violent man who thought McVeigh “had not done enough to kill as many people as possible.” The 1995 attack that destroyed the Oklahoma City federal building killed 168 people.

[Turbineguy]

1. That reminds me

of a Horace Rumpole joke:

"But your Honor, I'm 66 years old, I can't do 160 years!"

"Then you must do what you can."

[savemefromdumbya]

2. was he trying to blow up fitzgerald?

or was this too long ago?

[Emit]

3. Fitzgerald's office is in that building, isn't it?

I recall a story from last year by Tom Flocco (not a very reliable source) that had everyone up in arms talking about indictments of Cheney, Rove, and all and some plot to blow up this building. Weird, huh?

Anyway, I read a little about this Nettles case, and seems it might have been a sting operation. One blog here says that if it had not have been for the FBI encouraging this guy, it likely wouldn't have happened:

http://www.b12partners.net/2004/08/sting.html