By Tyler Clifford

(Reuters) – Two Illinois men have been sentenced to sentences much lower than the mandatory minimum of 35 years in Minnesota by a federal court after they pleaded guilty and worked with prosecutors to help them in their role in the bombing attack at a mosque near Minneapolis in 2017.

According to court records, Joe Morris (26), and Michael McWhorter (33) were sentenced to 16 and 14 year imprisonment, respectively, for their roles in the Dar al-Farooq Islamic Center attack. They also participated in morning prayer.

The men were accused of arson, firearms and use of destructive devices. They also face federal civil rights violations. In the blast, no one was injured.

Emily Claire Hari (previously Michael Hari) was sentenced to a 53 year term in September for masterminding the August 5, 2017 pipe bombing. McWhorter, Morris and others cooperated on this case. Assistant U.S. Timothy Rank and Allison Ethen asked for a lower sentence.

U.S. District Judge Donovan Frank, Hari’s sentence, said that the bombing was “premeditated acts of domestic terror” and targeted the Bloomington, Minnesota place of worship, which is home to Somali immigrant communities.

“The government recognizes and values McWhorter and Morris’s cooperation throughout this case, which contributed to Hari’s conviction,” U.S. Attorney Andrew Luger said in a statement. Today, they have been convicted of violating the law.

Star Tribune reports that five religious leaders from the Jewish, Christian, and Muslim faiths also made victim impact statements. They called for mercy.

Frank stated that he had considered whether it was necessary to prevent similar criminal acts. According to Frank, a lesser sentence would not promote respect for law when all is said and done,” according the Tribune.

According to U.S. Census Bureau, Minnesota is home to the largest Somali population in the United States.

Prosecutors claimed Hari recruited Hari and the couple into “The White Rabbits,” a terrorist militia group. Hari then drove his rented pickup truck over 500 miles to reach the mosque.

Morris is alleged to have used a sledgehammer to break a window at the Islamic center in the early morning of Aug. 5, while worshippers gathered for morning prayers, and of throwing a container of diesel and gasoline into the Imam’s office.

McWhorter lighted the fuse for Hari’s pipe bomb and then threw the explosive into his office. This ignited the fuel. According to U.S. Prosecutors, the two drove off to Hari’s vehicle and returned.

FBI agents detained Hari, McWhorter, and Morris from Clarence in Illinois.

The three men were all indicted on June 28th. McWhorter & Morris plead guilty to their respective roles in January 2019.