Jury deliberates in terrorism case

A jury began deliberating Friday in the second trial of six men accused of plotting terrorist attacks against Chicago's Sears Tower and FBI offices.

Narseal Batiste, 34, and the other suspects each face up to 70 years in prison if convicted of four terrorism-related conspiracy charges, including plotting to wage war against the U.S.

The 12 members of the jury, whose names are secret, got the case after nearly two months of testimony and closing arguments. The first trial in the case ended in December with a hung jury for these six defendants and the acquittal of a seventh.

The jury in the second case deliberated about four hours Friday before quitting and will resume Monday. The jury in the first case tried for nine days in vain to reach verdicts.

Prosecutors have claimed the so-called "Liberty City Seven" wanted to use the terror attacks to ignite an insurrection against the U.S. government.

Batiste, the alleged ringleader, testified that he faked interest in terrorism in an attempt to scam $50,000 out of a man he thought had been sent from al-Qaida. That man, known as Brother Mohammed to Batiste's group, was actually an FBI informant.

A prosecutor urged the jury not to buy defense claims it was all a con for money.

"That's just silliness," Assistant U.S. Attorney Jacqueline Arango said in a closing statement. "You would have to believe that these defendants thought they could rip off the deadliest terrorist organization in the world. Do you think al-Qaida would be OK with that?"