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US man who admitted assassination bid on Obama gets 25 years prison term

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ANI Washington
Last Updated : Apr 01 2014 | 11:00 AM IST

A U.S. man who admitted he tried to assassinate President Barack Obama by shooting at the White House has been awarded a 25-year prison sentence.

Oscar Ortega-Hernandez appeared in federal court after pleading guilty in September to terrorism and weapons charges.

He had been originally indicted on 17 criminal counts.

According to CNN, prosecutors had charged the 23-year-old from Idaho with firing a Romanian-made assault rifle out of his car window on November 11, 2011.

Officials said after firing a number of rounds towards the White House, he sped away towards a bridge leading to the Virginia suburbs, but crashed his vehicle and fled on foot.

U.S. Attorney Ronald Machen, whose office prosecuted the case, said the man drove cross-country to launch an assault rifle attack on the White House from Constitution Avenue.

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Machen added Ortega-Hernandez was motivated by hatred for the President and the desire to start a revolution against the federal government.

Ortega-Hernandez was captured at a Pennsylvania motel five days after the incident.

In court documents, prosecutors argued Ortega-Hernandez was dangerous and planned out his alleged crime over a period of months, the report added.

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First Published: Apr 01 2014 | 10:45 AM IST

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