Man Charged for Harvard Radio-Controlled Plane Attack Threat

A Moroccan national will be sentenced after being recorded discussing flying a radio-controlled plane fitted with explosives into Harvard and a federal building, according to the Connecticut Post.

Twenty-seven-year-old El Mehdi Semlali Fathi was arrested in April after the FBI recorded him allegedly discussing the attack and training he received in Afghanistan. He later pleaded guilty to perjury for claiming political refugee status to a U.S. Immigration judge.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Krishna Patel is urging Chief U.S. District Judge Janet C. Hall to impose a five-year prison term on Fathi, the maximum sentence for perjury.

Patel said the investigation revealed that Fathi discussed planning a bomb attack within months of receiving refugee status.

Public defender Paul Thomas, Fathi’s lawyer, has argued for a prison term of 15 to 21 months.

—Staff writer Mariel A. Klein can be reached at mariel.klein@thecrimson.com. Follow her on Twitter @mariel_klein.