A federal court sentenced two Somali pirates to life in prison Monday for their participation in a yacht hijacking that ended in the deaths of four Americans.

Jean and Scott Adam of Marina del Rey, Ca. owned the S/V Quest and were accompanied by friends Bob Riggle and Phyllis Macay of Seattle when they were taken hostage by 19 men in the Indian Ocean south of Oman in February.

At first, the gang wanted to take their captives back to Somalia. However, that plan changed once they were trailed by four U.S. naval ships. The pirates rejected the Navy's offer to let them go-with the yacht-in exchange for releasing the hostages because they intended to get much more money through a ransom payment.

Defendant Ali Abdi Mohammed told prosecutors he was given orders to fire a rocket propelled grenade toward the warships to keep them away. Another pirate standing too close behind him was inadvertently killed. Chaos broke loose on the yacht, gunfire broke out and three pirates shot the Americans to death, court records said.

Mohammed claimed he and another pirate attempted to intervene but failed to wrestle the guns away from the shooters. He said he hopes the victims' families will forgive him.

Burhan Abdirahman Yusuf, the other defendant sentenced, claimed he was only a guard and had argued that the two women hostages should be released.

"I was very, very sad about what happened," he said.

Nine other men have already pleaded guilty and await mandatory life sentences, which may be eventually reduced as part of a plea arrangement.

Three of the defendants also face possible death penalty charges for murder.

The Adams had delivered bibles from the yacht all around the world.

Source: Associated Press