CAMDEN, N.J., Dec. 22 (UPI) -- A federal jury in New Jersey Monday convicted five Muslim men of plotting to attack soldiers at Fort Dix -- a plot prosecutors say was inspired by al-Qaida.
The verdicts came on the sixth day of deliberations by the U.S. District Court panel following an eight-week trial in Camden, The (Newark, N.J.) Star-Ledger reported. In addition to conspiracy counts, some of the men were found guilty on weapons charges.
The defendants were acquitted, however, of attempted murder, the newspaper said.
"The burden imposed on us has been heavy, but we are confident our verdict has been reached fairly and impartially," the jurors said in a note them passed along to Judge Robert Kugler.
Kugler set sentencing for April 22 and 23. They face up to life in prison.
The defendants are Shain Duka Eljvir Duka, Dritan Duka -- all brothers who are ethnic Albanians-- and Mohamad Ibrahim Shnewer, a Jordanian, and Serdar Tatar, who is from Turkey.
A 15-month federal investigation concluded in May 2007 with the arrest of two suspects who tried to buy automatic weapons from an FBI informant, The Star-Ledger said.
