LOS ANGELES, Nov. 14 (Xinhua) -- A vocal opponent of the Vietnamese government, who is a permanent U.S. resident, was sentenced to 14 months in federal prison Wednesday for his role in a plot to bomb the Vietnamese embassy in the Philippines.

    Vinh Tan Nguyen, 51, was sentenced in Los Angeles by U.S. District Judge Christina Snyder.

    Nguyen pleaded guilty last month to misusing a U.S. passport to facilitate an act of terrorism. He could have been sentenced to 25 years in prison and given a 250,000-U.S. dollar fine had he received the maximum penalty.

    Nguyen admitted he used his brother's passport to fly from Los Angeles to Manila in 2001. While in Manila, he lived in homes where explosives intended to be used against Vietnamese government facilities were stored.

    He also admitted he tested four bombs in Manila and recorded the results in written reports. He then wrote letters to others outlining ways to smuggle bomb parts into Vietnam.

    Nguyen faces additional charges in the Philippines.

    In October 2001, Nguyen's brother, Van Vo Duc, was arrested near Los Angeles on suspicion of attempting to bomb the Vietnamese embassy in Bangkok. The United States extradited the 47-year-old Duc to Thailand earlier this year.