A Queens man caught preparing for a 9/11 anniversary suicide bomb attack on the subways under Grand Central will soon walk out of prison thanks to a sentence that amounts to his time already served, a judge ruled Thursday.
Najibullah Zazi, 33, had faced up to life in prison after his 2009 arrest, but spent nearly the next 10 years cooperating against al Qaeda.
Thursday’s 10-year sentence — which, given his good behavior behind bars, means he will be sprung any day now — came at the urging of prosecutors, who cited his extensive cooperation in arguing that he deserved a break.
Brooklyn federal Judge Raymond Dearie agreed, letting Zazi off with little more than a tongue-lashing as he noted that the one-time jihadist had come to the US in 1999 as a 14-year-old refugee from Pakistan.