Three men convicted of plotting to blow up New York synagogues and shoot down military planes were sentenced to 25 years in prison in federal court in Manhattan on Wednesday.

James Cromitie, David Williams and Onta Williams were convicted in October 2010. They were found guilty of planning to bomb synagogues in Bronx of New York. The three men also conspired to use missiles to shoot down military planes located at the New York Air National Guard Base.

"You were not political or religious martyrs,"said U.S. District Judge Colleen McMahon. "You were thugs for hire, pure and simple. I am nonetheless convinced a sentence of 25 years, a quarter of a century behind bars, is sufficient to punish you for both what happened and for what didn't happen."

The three men were arrested in a highly-publicized FBI sting operation in May 2009.