AKRON, Ohio -- The leader of Ohio's largest mosque was sentenced Monday to two months in federal prison and four months of house arrest for lying about his connections to terrorist groups when he applied for U.S. citizenship.

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Imam Damrah Interview

Palestinian-born Fawaz Damra, imam of the Islamic Center of Cleveland, could have received up to five years in prison on the charge of obtaining U.S. citizenship in 1994 by providing false information. A federal jury convicted Damra, 41, in June.

He was also fined $5,000. Damra is now out on bond.

NewsChannel5's Tracy Carloss reported that after his sentencing, Damra apologized for comments he made in the past, including a speech jurors were shown in which he called Jews "the sons of monkeys and pigs."

"I apologize for the people I offended, the Jewish community in particular, and to anybody I have offended in my words," said Damra.

The judge is deciding if he will issue a stay in the Imam's deportation.

Damra's attorneys asked the judge not to void his citizenship until after the appeals process.

But prosecutors say the law requires deportation for this conviction.

Damra can start serving his sentence after the Muslim holiday of Ramadan ends in November.

Last week, Judge James Gwin called the evidence against Damra weaker than the majority of criminal cases, but enough to convict.

NewsChannel5's Brad Harvey reported that some documents declassified Monday shed some light on the case against the Imam.

U.S. attorney Greg White says the documents show additional evidence of Damra's association with groups recognized by the government as terrorist organizations.

The documents contain transcripts of phone conversations between Damra and alleged terrorist backer Sami al-Arian about raising money on behalf of the terrorist organizations.

Al-Arian is one of eight people facing a 50-count indictment charging them with providing financial assistance to the Palestinian Islamic Jihad.

Federal prosecutors believe the link is very clear, reported Harvey.

"All of these investigations are ongoing … and it's very clear from the record in this case his (Damra's) association with al-Arian … that association continues right up to the year 2000 and 2001, so the (documents) speak for themselves," said White.

Damra was convicted of lying about those ties when he applied for citizenship a decade ago, and Damra had argued all of this was ancient history, but the U.S. attorney says this is evidence the association continued long after the fact, reported Harvey.