NY Judge: Ex-Soviet Arms Dealer Will Get 25 Years

Alleged Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout walks inside a temporary cell ahead of a hearing at the Criminal Court in Bangkok on October 4, 2010.

A judge says she'll sentence a former Soviet arms dealer dubbed the Merchant of Death to 25 years on a terrorism weapons conviction. Viktor Bout said he's "not guilty" and that allegations against him are lies.

The judge hasn't officially handed down the sentence yet. Bout was convicted on terrorism charges that grew from a U.S. sting operation. He faces a mandatory minimum of 25 years in prison and a maximum of life in prison.

The ex-Soviet officer has been jailed since his arrest four years ago in Thailand after he met U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration operatives posing as agents of a Colombian terrorism group. He was extradited to the U.S. for trial in 2010.

Prosecutors say he was ready to sell up to $20 million in weapons including surface-to-air missiles to shoot down U.S. helicopters. Bout shouted in court: "It's a lie."

Bout told the judge he "never intended to kill anyone." He says "God knows this truth."

Bout insists he's a legitimate businessman.