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Convicted "shoe bomber" asks Mass. judge for bankruptcy declaration

FLORENCE, Colo. — The man convicted of attempting to "Shoe Bomb" an airplane in 2001 has asked a judge to declare him bankrupt, due to the large fine he says he cannot pay.

Richard Reid wrote a handwritten letter dated Nov. 7, 2016 to judge U.S. District Court Judge William G. Young  from the Colorado Supermax prison in regards to the $256,082 fine levied upon his conviction.

"I am not now, nor will I - I believe - ever be, able to pay this fine," he wrote.

He also wrote a letter asking for a movement to stay offset, asking for the court to continue exempt status from payment.

Last month, Reid had received notice from the court that the outstanding fine was still due.

Reid pleaded guilty to trying to blow up a trans-Atlantic flight with bombs hidden in his shoes. The flight took off in Paris and when Reid tried to light his shoes, he was tackled and the plane was diverted to Boston. He admitted in court to being a member of Al Qaeda.

The British man is spending the rest of his life in the Florence supermax prison, awaiting the death penalty, along with terrorist like Dzokhar Tsarnaev.

Nov. 29, U.S. Attorney Carmen Ortiz submitted a motion to extend the time to respond to Reid's request, and said it will answer to both motion on Dec. 16.