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Man Sentenced to Prison for Making Bomb

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Times Staff Writer

A Garden Grove man was sentenced Monday to 21 months in prison for making a bomb that detonated outside the Santa Ana campaign headquarters of Rep. Loretta Sanchez.

The bomb detonated in Hai Duc Le’s parked car, injuring Le but no one else.

Le, 36, originally faced charges of using a weapon of mass destruction. But he pleaded guilty in November to reduced charges of possession and manufacturing of a destructive device.

The prosecution never determined Le’s motive for making a pipe bomb, said Thom Mrozek, a spokesman for the U.S. attorney’s office in Los Angeles.

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“What we are certain of,” Mrozek said, “is that he was not targeting Congresswoman Loretta Sanchez.”

Le told the court that he suffered from mental illness and hallucinations.

He suffered severe wounds to his face, arms and torso when the 16-inch-long bomb exploded in his lap on June 15, 2003.

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