Matthew Hale, an avowed white supremacist and leader of a group that preaches racial holy war, was sentenced to 40 years in prison Wednesday for trying to have a federal judge killed.

“Mr. Hale is not concerned about taking someone’s life, but rather how to do it without getting caught,” U.S. District Judge James Moody said in imposing the sentence. “I consider Mr. Hale to be extremely dangerous and the offense for which he was convicted to be extremely egregious.”