Mohammad Shibin was convicted in April on 15 charges including piracy, hostage taking, kidnapping and conspiracy.

He was paid $30,000 to $50,000 in cash for his negotiating services, including talks over a seized US yacht on which four US citizens died, according to a federal indictment.

In a courtroom in Norfolk, Virginia, US district judge Robert Doumar sentenced Shibin to serve 10 concurrent life sentences, two consecutive life sentences and two 20-year sentences and ordered him to pay $5.4m