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A Hawaii-based Army soldier accused of attempting to support the Islamic State group will plead guilty, his lawyers told The Associated Press today.
Birney Bervar, one of Sgt. 1st Class Ikaika Kang’s attorneys, said Kang will plead guilty as charged in the indictment, which accuses him of providing material aid to terrorists. Kang is agreeing to a 25-year sentence for charges that could have put him in prison for life, Bervar said.
Court documents allege Kang provided classified military information to undercover agents who he believed were part of the Islamic State group.
Kang allegedly told an informant that if he became an Islamic State member, he would be a suicide bomber and attack Schofield Barracks, a sprawling Army base outside Honolulu, according to an affidavit filed in court.
Kang is scheduled to withdraw his not-guilty plea Thursday, court records show. The hearing was moved from the afternoon to the morning because of concerns about a hurricane headed for Hawaii, Silvert said.
A plea agreement hasn’t been filed in court yet.
Neighbor islands get $1.5M for ‘green’ buses
Hawaii, Kauai and Maui counties will receive $1.5 million from the Federal Transit Administration to purchase or lease a fleet of new zero- or low-emission transit buses, according to U.S. Sen. Brian Schatz.
Schatz, a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, announced the grant today, which was awarded following joint efforts by the state Department of Transportation and receiving counties. The funds will also go toward the facilities and equipment needed to maintain the new fleet.
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