Two California men pleaded guilty on Friday to domestic terrorism charges stemming from a prison-based plot to rob gas stations to finance attacks on U.S. military operations, "infidels," synagogues and other Jewish facilities in Los Angeles.
The men were not accused of conspiring with foreign extremist organizations.
Kevin James and Levar Washington admitted in a Santa Ana federal court that they conspired "to levy war against (the U.S. government) through terrorism."
James faces up to 20 years in federal prison and Patterson could be sentenced to up to 25 years behind bars.
Prosecutors said Gregory Patterson, a third member of the radical Islamic group founded by James and dubbed Jam'iyyat Ul-Islam Is-Saheeh, is expected to plead guilty to terrorism charges on Monday.
A fourth man, Hammad Samana, was found unfit to stand trial and is receiving psychiatric care at a federal prison.
James recruited Washington to the group in 2004 when both were in a California prison.
After being paroled about a month later, Washington recruited Patterson and Samana and the three carried out a string of a dozen gas station robberies in early 2005, prosecutors said.
The men were arrested in August 2005. In a search of an apartment shared by Patterson and Washington, police discovered documents listing potential attack targets, as well as a statement from James to be given to the media after an attack.
Targets included the Los Angeles International Airport, the Israeli consulate and synagogues.
The three had outlined a plan to attack synagogues in Los Angeles during the Jewish holidays in an attempt to "kill as many people as possible," the indictment said.
