Financial agent of Times Square bomber sentenced

Mohammad Younis, 45, had provided $ 7,000 (approx Rs 3.5 lakh) to Shahzad, a Pakistani immigrant who drove up a bomb-laden SUV to Times Square in May 2010 and unsuccessfully tried to detonate it.

Authorities say Younis was not aware of the intended use of the funds, though they consider his "unlawful money transmission... a financial bridge into the United States." He was ordered to pay a $ 2,000 (approx Rs 1.02 lakh) fine by Manhattan federal Judge John Keenan, who said Younis' case "is illustrative of the reason" why the informal overseas banking system known as "hawala" is prohibited in the United States.

At his sentencing today, Younis, a legal permanent resident of the United States, offered a brief apology saying "I'm totally sorry for what I did."

"I did something against the law. But I can tell you one thing: it will not happen ever again," he said.

 Shahzad had pleaded guilty and is serving a life sentence.

Prosecutors had said that there is no evidence that Younis was aware that the money he was providing to Shahzad was going to be used for the terror plot. But the indictment against him said he arranged to have the money delivered to Shahzad through the informal money transfer system.

According to his indictment, Younis had arranged for the money transfer at the direction of a co-conspirator in Pakistan. Younis was seeking leniency in his sentencing saying he hopes to avoid jail term for the sake of his family.