Sentences announced in Holy Land case

DALLAS, May 27 (UPI) -- Five leaders of the Holy Land Foundation for Relief and Development were sentenced to prison Wednesday for helping the terrorist group Hamas.

U.S. District Judge Jorge Solis of Dallas sentenced the men for their convictions by a federal jury in November on charges of providing material support to Hamas.

"Today's sentences mark the culmination of many years of painstaking investigative and prosecutorial work at the federal, state and local levels. All those involved in this landmark case deserve our thanks," said David Kris, assistant attorney general for national security. "These sentences should serve as a strong warning to anyone who knowingly provides financial support to terrorists under the guise of humanitarian relief."

Sentenced were Shukri Abu Baker, Mohammad El-Mezain, Ghassan Elashi, Mufid Abdulqader and Abdulrahman Odeh. Their sentences ranged from 15 to 65 years in prison, a Justice Department statement said.

The court also reaffirmed the jury's $12.4 million money judgment against the defendants, with the exception of El Mezain, who was not convicted of money laundering.

Federal authorities said that from its inception the Holy Land Foundation, based in Richardson, Texas, existed to support Hamas, which has been designed as a terrorist organization by the U.S. government. Before it was shut down in December 2001, it was the largest U.S. Muslim charity.