(CNN) A member of the ISIS terror cell nicknamed the “Beatles” was sentenced to life in prison on Friday by US District Judge T. S. Ellis in Alexandria, Virginia, after gut-wrenching statements in court from family members of victims.
Alexanda Kotey had pleaded guilty in September to taking part in a hostage scheme that led to the deaths of American, Japanese and British citizens in Syria. As part of his plea, Kotey will be transferred to the UK, where members of his family live, to serve the rest of his term after serving 15 years in the US.
“You get a life sentence,” Ellis said, for what he called “about the most serious crimes that can be committed.”
After handing down Kotey’s sentence, Ellis said he hoped it would serve as a deterrence to future terror groups. “We don’t give up,” he said of the US government. “We will look for you. We will find you.”
