RIVERSIDE, Calif. (AP) — The man who bought two rifles that a husband and wife used to kill 14 people in a Southern California terror attack was expected to be sentenced Friday.

Enrique Marquez Jr. was expected to appear in federal court in Riverside in the case stemming from the attack in nearby San Bernardino.

Federal prosecutors and probation officials recommended a 25-year sentence for Marquez. His lawyer said authorities were trying to hold his client responsible for an attack he didn't commit and asked for a five-year sentence, according to government court filings.

Prosecutors contended Marquez must be held responsible for his actions, which include giving semiautomatic weapons and explosives to a person he knew was inspired by violent extremists and plotting with him to kill large numbers of innocent people.

“And the undeniable truth remains: If defendant had not illegally purchased two assault weapons for a terrorist, that terrorist and his wife would not have used those firearms to murder 14 people and wound 22 survivors,” federal prosecutors wrote in a court filing ahead of the hearing.

Marquez’s court filings are under seal. A message seeking comment was left for his attorney, John Aquilina.

On Dec. 2, 2015, Syed Rizwan Farook and Farook's wife, Tashfeen Malik, opened fire on a gathering of San Bernardino County employees. The couple died in a firefight with authorities later that day.

The government contends that several years before the attack, Marquez and Farook had plotted two terrorist attacks on Riverside City College and a local highway, State Route 91.

But Marquez abandoned the idea of the attacks and distanced himself from Farook in 2012 after three other Southern California men were arrested on suspicion of planning to go to Afghanistan to kill U.S. troops. Eventually, the three and a fourth man were sentenced to federal prison for conspiracy.

Marquez was arrested soon after the 2015 attack and in meetings with the FBI described his research into terror attacks, purchase of explosives and the plans he made with Farook, the government said.

Marquez pleaded guilty in 2017 to conspiring with Farook to provide material support to terrorists and making false statements regarding the rifles he had purchased in his own name using Farook’s money.

He later tried to withdraw his plea to one of the counts, but the request was denied by the court.

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Taxin reported from Orange County, California.