Samuel Mullet Sr. is due to be sentenced Friday in Cleveland along with 15 others convicted in the hair-cuttings.
Prosecutors say in court documents filed Tuesday that Mullet deserves a life term because it's highly likely that none of the attacks would have taken place without his involvement.
Mullet's attorney is asking for a sentence of 18 months to two years. He says the 67-year-old isn't a threat to commit any more crimes.
A jury in September found Mullet guilty of hate crimes for orchestrating attacks against members of his own faith in eastern Ohio. They stemmed from a dispute over religious differences.
