By Matthew Russell Lee, Patreon Maxwell book
BBC - Honduras - CIA Trial book - NY Mag
SDNY COURTROOM EXCLUSIVE, Nov 3 – Maalik Jones joined Al Shaabab in Somalia in 2011, traveling there from Baltimore where he'd grown up as the abused son of the principal of an Islamic school.
He fought for Al Shaabab's Jaysh Ayman unit for four years, finally fleeing them they targeted him. He was picked up, prosecuted in the US and sentenced to 35 years in prison.
On November 3, he had a second sentencing, following the US Supreme Court's Davis decision. Inner City Press, which had filed to unseal documents in the case, was there.
U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York Judge Paul G. Gardephe had asked for filing about Jones' knowledge of Al Shaabab attacks in Lamu, Kenya.
But in the November 3 proceeding, Jones' two defense lawyer spoke mostly about his childhood, his time in solitary confinement, and his desire to be placed in a deradicalization program.
One said that the sentencing on the January 6 cases should be compared. The Assistant US Attorney disagreed, emphasizing that Jones left the US and took up arms with a group that has in essence declared war on America.
Judge Gardephe noted that the defense submissions did not address why a 27 year old from Baltimore would do that. He said, "if there is a more vicious terrorist group than Al Shaabab, I don't know of it." (As Inner City Press reported, Judge Gardephe presided over the Hezbollah trial of Alexi Saab, and will soon preside over his retrial on some charges).
The maximum sentence this time was 25 years, and that's what Judge Gardephe imposed.
He recommended the deradicalization program, and designation to FCI Cumberland in Maryland, to be near Jones' family.
The case is US v. Maalik Jones, 16-cr-19 (Gardephe)
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