Defense lawyers seek leniency, saying Cesar Sayoc, 57, burdened by severe learning disabilities, was living alone in a cramped van and working as a strip club DJ and a pizza deliveryman in West Palm Beach, Fla., when he became ‘‘increasingly obsessive, paranoid and angry’’ and believed President Trump’s enemies were trying to hurt him and other Trump supporters.

NEW YORK — The Florida man who created a two-week crisis by mailing 16 packages of inoperative pipe bombs packed with fireworks powder and shards of glass to 13 well-known Democrats and CNN learns his punishment Monday.

Prosecutors are seeking a sentence of life in prison for Cesar Sayoc, 57.

Prosecutors say a life sentence is ‘‘necessary and appropriate’’ after Sayoc caused ‘‘widespread fear and panic’’ in the days before the 2018 midterm elections. None of the packages exploded.


His targets included Hillary Clinton, Joe Biden, several members of Congress, Barack Obama, and actor Robert De Niro. Devices were also mailed to CNN offices in New York and Atlanta.

US District Judge Jed S. Rakoff will order Sayoc to serve at least 10 years in prison, the mandatory minimum.

Prosecutors say Sayoc’s devices, though not functioning as designed, were able to explode and shut down parts of major metropolitan areas, including train stations, schools, and postal facilities.

They say he has not accepted responsibility and that his claims that his packages were a ‘‘hoax’’ are ‘‘simply false.’’

Defense lawyers wrote that Sayoc was suffering from ‘‘delusional beliefs’’ fueled by large doses of steroids when he decided ‘‘to try to intimidate and scare Trump’s perceived enemies.’’

They urged Rakoff to sentence Sayoc to 10 years and one month in prison.