Sentence upheld for Coast Guard officer tied to terror plot

By MICHAEL KUNZELMAN
Associated Press

COLLEGE PARK, Md. (AP) — A federal appeals court has upheld a prison sentence of more than 13 years for a former Coast Guard officer accused of stockpiling weapons and plotting politically motivated killings inspired by a far-right mass murderer. Christopher Hasson argued that a federal judge in Maryland improperly applied a “terrorism enhancement” to his case, more than tripling the recommended range of a prison term under federal sentencing guidelines. A three-judge panel of the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals rejected Hasson’s argument Tuesday. Hasson was not charged or convicted of a terrorism-related offense, but prosecutors called him a domestic terrorist and said he appeared to be planning attacks.