An Iranian-born former graduate student charged with driving a sport utility vehicle into a crowd at University of North Carolina said in letters to newspapers that he expects to spend his life in prison. He has said he was attacking Americans in revenge for what he said were U.S. attacks in the Middle East.

“If Allah wills, I will plead guilty to all 18 charges currently against me and I expect a life-term in prison,” Mohammed Taheri-azar, 22, wrote in a letter to The News & Observer of Raleigh, N.C. He had a scheduled bond hearing Thursday.