Synagogue bomb plotter gets help — and prison

A Broward man who admitted he planned to bomb an Aventura synagogue during Passover last year will be locked up while he undergoes medical treatment and is expected to serve a maximum of 25 years in prison, a judge ruled Tuesday.

Under an uncommon agreement between the prosecution and defense, it is likely that James Gonzalo Medina, 41, of Hollywood, will spend the first portion of his sentence in a federal prison medical ward where he can receive treatment for a brain cyst and mental illness.

Medina has been diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder that was likely caused or exacerbated by a “spiderlike” brain cyst, court records show. Some of the medical experts who examined him said the cyst affected his behavior and ability to make good decisions.

Both sides in the case agreed earlier this year that Medina was legally competent to proceed with the case after he was examined and was prescribed an antipsychotic medication.

U.S. District Judge Robert Scola followed the recommendation of both sides and recommended Medina be locked up in one of the Federal Medical Centers in either Rochester, Minn., or Butner, N.C., where he can receive appropriate treatment for his medical conditions. If or when Medina is deemed fully recovered, he will be transferred to the general population section of a prison.

Medina was arrested in April 2016 after an undercover sting, which was launched by the FBI when someone reported Medina was threatening to attack people at a South Florida synagogue. He was unemployed, homeless and squatting in an abandoned building in Hollywood at the time.

In August, Medina pleaded guilty to two federal charges of attempting to damage religious property, which is a hate crime, and attempting to use a weapon of mass destruction, a fake bomb.

Medina admitted he had plotted with an undercover informant to bomb the Aventura Turnberry Jewish Center. The complex includes a synagogue, classrooms and meeting halls.

Medina was arrested on April 29, 2016, as he walked from a car to the synagogue, carrying what