Pakistani immigrant sentenced to life prison term for botched car bombing of Times Square

Times Square attempted bomber gets life sentence

NEW YORK — The Pakistani immigrant who tried to set off a car bomb in Times Square was sentenced Tuesday to life in prison, a mandatory penalty that left him defiant as ever and the judge who sentenced him determined to send a message to anyone who might want to follow in his path.

Faisal Shahzad came to court to tell Americans he felt no remorse about his May 1 bombing attempt, and he sparred with U.S. District Judge Miriam Goldman Cedarbaum.

Cedarbaum said her sentence was very important “to protect the public from further crimes of this defendant and others who would seek to follow him.”

Shahzad, 31, defended his attempt to kill Americans. During his statement before sentencing, Cedarbaum cut him off at one point to ask if he had sworn allegiance to the United States when the Pakistan-born Shahzad became a citizen last year.

“I did swear but I did not mean it,” Shahzad said.

“So you took a false oath,” the judge told him.

Shahzad was arrested two days after a bomb in the back of a sport utility vehicle fizzled with a mere sputter of smoke, drawing the attention of a street vendor who alerted police.