A millionaire was sentenced to 9 years in prison following the death of a man who was trying to build secret tunnels under his home



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Daniel Beckwitt, 28, had been convicted of second-degree murder and involuntary manslaughter during the death of 21-year-old Askia Khafra, found "naked" and "charred" in the underworld. Burnt ground of Bethesda, Maryland. residence.

During the two-week trial, prosecutors explained how Beckwitt had hired Khafra to build the bunker-shaped tunnel complex in the event of an attack by North Korea, Ramón V. Korionoff, a spokesman, said. Montgomery County Attorney's Office.

Beckwitt would pick up Khafra from his home in Silver Spring, Maryland, outside of Washington, and demand that Khafra wear darkened glasses preventing Khafra from seeing where he was being driven, according to a report by Montgomery District Court.

The document also states that once Beckwitt would have recovered Khafra, he would have told her that they would go to an "undisclosed location in Virginia," but Beckwitt would drive to his home in Bethesda.

Beckwitt would lead Khafra to his basement, where Khafra would work digging the tunnels for days, read the document.

The document indicated that the tunnels had an extension of 200 feet and two floors below the basement of the house.

A police ribbon surrounds the house where Askia Khafra died in a fire while digging tunnels.

Then, in September 2017, a fire broke out at Beckwitt and Khafra died, authorities said.

Beckwitt later admitted to being "particularly aware of the increased likelihood that a fire will break out a few hours before the call to a house fire," says the court document.

A detective described the "accumulation" conditions at Beckwitt.

"Huge piles of garbage and objects thrown (were) scattered throughout the house" and "narrow passages resembling labyrinths … significantly impeded the normal ease of circulation in the house, "reads the document. He said that clutter prevented the "normal ease" of getting out of the house.

Police said they found a "chain of random extensions and plug-in extensions" leading to the tunnel complex, which creates a significant fire risk, according to court documents.

Robert Bonsib, a Beckwitt lawyer, called the sentence "fair".

"We continue to argue that the verdicts of guilt are not supported by the evidence in this case, as it was a purely accidental fire and not a criminal act," Bonsib said. in an email to CNN. "Mr. Beckwitt has appealed and hopes that the court of appeal will grant him a new trial in this case."

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