ISIS 'Beatle' gets life sentence for role in kidnappings that led to beheadings

April 29 (UPI) -- An ISIS member in a terror cell dubbed "the Beatles" was sentenced to life in prison Friday for being involved in the deaths of Americans, Japanese and British citizens in Syria.

Alexanda Kotey was sentenced by Alexandria Virginia U.S. District Judge T.S. Ellis. Kotey pleaded guilty in September.

Judge Ellis said Kotey's crimes were about the most serious that can be committed.

Before he was sentenced, a dozen members of the victims' families gave emotional statements in court directly to Kotey.

Another ISIS 'Beatles" member, El Shafee Elsheikh, was convicted in federal court April 14 on eight counts, including four charges of hostage taking that resulted in the deaths of Americans James Foley, Steven Sotloff, Kayla Mueller and Peter Kassig.

Foley, Sotloff and British citizen David Haines were beheaded and gruesome videos of their murders were released online between August and October 2014. Kassig and Japanese citizens Haruna Ykawa and Kenji Goto were also beheaded.

Kotey belonged to a group of British ISIS fighters that also included Elsheikh and Mohamed Emwazi, known as "Jihadi John."

Kotey's lawyers said he most likely will be imprisoned at the federal supermax prison in Florence, Colo. Judge Ellis did not recommend a prison for Kotey, leaving that up to the Bureau of Prisons.