U.S. v. Tounisi

Dist. Ct. did not err in sentencing defendant to statutory maximum of 15-year term of incarceration plus lifetime term of supervised release on charge of knowingly attempting to provide material support to foreign terrorist organization arising out of defendant’s attempt to leave U.S. and join terrorist group associate with al-Qaida. Applicable guideline range called for sentence of 360-month to life imprisonment, and thus instant statutory maximum sentence became defendant’s advisory imprisonment term. Moreover, defendant’s terrorism crime also posed foreseeable risk of injury to others that supported life term of supervised release. Ct. rejected defendant’s claim that Dist. Ct. had failed to adequately explain length of imprisonment or to address defendant’s mitigation arguments or relevant section 3553(a) factors. Also, Dist. Ct. could properly emphasize circumstances of defendant’s careful plan to leave U.S., as well as risks posed to U.S. if defendant had been able to join terrorist group.