Final Prairieland Defendant Given Six Years as Federal Terms Reach About 562 Years
Kent’s sentence completes the federal punishments for the July 4, 2025 attack while raising questions about applying terrorism laws to protest-linked violence.
Overview
- On Monday, July 6, 2026, Susan Elaine Kent was sentenced to 72 months in federal prison for providing material support to terrorists, closing the federal sentencing phase for the Prairieland case.
- Kent pleaded guilty in November 2025 and cooperated with prosecutors, testifying at trial that she helped harbor and move Benjamin Hanil Song after he shot an Alvarado police officer.
- Benjamin Hanil Song was convicted of attempted murder at trial and received the longest federal term in the case, 100 years in prison, after a multistate manhunt and weeks of testimony.
- Defense attorneys say the group planned a peaceful protest and noise demonstration, and multiple convicted defendants have filed appeals that will press disputes over the terrorism charges.
- A Johnson County grand jury has returned parallel state indictments for the cell and additional suspects, creating continuing multi‑jurisdictional litigation and potential constitutional challenges to the DOJ’s use of terrorism statutes.