FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – A man who was accused of plotting to fire bomb abortion clinics, churches and gay bars was sentenced Thursday to five years in federal prison.
Stephen John Jordi (search) received the minimum sentence from Judge James Cohn. He pleaded guilty in February to a single charge of attempted arson of an abortion clinic in a plea deal with prosecutors.
Prosecutors had asked Cohn to sentence Jordi under a federal terrorism law and sought seven to 10 years.
Jordi and a government informant bought gasoline cans, flares, starter fluid and propane tanks the day he was arrested last November after casing several South Florida abortion clinics and talking about bombing one in Macon, Ga., according to the FBI (search).
Jordi corresponded with Paul Hill (search), who was executed last September for killing a Pensacola abortion doctor and his volunteer escort.
Prosecutors said Jordi wanted to emulate Atlanta Olympic bombing suspect Eric Rudolph (search) by living off the land after the bombings.
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