By Matthew Russell Lee, Patreon Maxwell Book
SDNY EXCLUSIVE, May 24 - In the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York on December 5, a detention or bond proceeding was held by Magistrate Judge Valerie Figueredo on a man whom the FBI had flown into JFK airport on December 4 from Saudi Arabia, after he illegal took six of his seven children from the US to Sudan.
Inner City Press was present, the only media in the Mag Court as on December 2 (subsequent live-tweeted thread (more on Patreon here) vlog here
The defendant is Khalid Alboushari, sealed indictement and extra on Patreon here; Inner City Press thread here:
US seeks detention, on risk of flight grounds. Says defendant is from Sudan and beat his ex wife. There were NYC orders of protection. He fled with 6 of their 7 kids.
Federal Defender will argue for bail.
Alboushri was arrested in the UAE on Interpol red notice - but UAE released him. In Saudi Arabia they imposed a travel ban. Then he tried to flee into Yemen, but was caught, and turned over to the FBI.
Asst US Attorney: He wants to return to Sudan, with which US has no extradition treaty. He committed passport fraud - we intend to supersede. He's a threat to his ex wife, who is terrified. He knows where she lives.
Federal Defender: There's no documentation of these death threats. And why would he try to flee to Yemen?
Note: Yemen under the Houthis would not have put him on a plane with US FBI agents as Saudi Arabia did. In exchange for what? Wag note US State Dept 's recent pro-MBS legal brief...
Judge: I detain him... He violated the conditions imposed on him by Saudi Arabia. There is also danger, he knows where they live.
On December 19, Alboushari wrote to Judge Jesse M. Furman to change lawyers, and was allowed to. On March 7, 2023 Judge Furman docketed another letter from the defendant, asking the lawyers to be ready to address it on March 23 (at 3:15 pm).
The letter says his new lawyer blocks his calls and will not answer his emails because he asked who reached out to him.
On March 17, Alboushari moved to suppress his confession, saying that he was not read his Miranda warnings before interviews in the UAE and in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
On April 3, Judge Furman docketed (but wrote that he would not consider) a Trulincs email from Alboushari alleging "rigging of the dockets" and what he characterizes as retaliation in bringing a new charge, "Passport Fraud," against him. It concludes by saying the only way anything can be discovered is if you take steps to contain any public or media aspects of this."
Then docketed on May 17, this: "SCHEDULING ORDER as to Khalid Alboushari: The Court has been advised that the Defendant may want to enter a change of plea. To that end, the parties shall appear on May 24, 2023 at 10:00 a.m. in Courtroom 1105 of the Thurgood Marshall Courthouse, 40 Centre Street, New York, New York. The Court had previously scheduled a suppression hearing for the same date at 9:30 a.m. If the plea is accepted, the suppression hearing obviously will be canceled."
On May 24, Inner City Press went to Judge Furman's courtroom at 9:30 am - it was locked. Later, Alboushari came to plead guilty but couldn't or wouldn't say that he took the children to Sudan to deny their mother her rights. After a break, he said "Yes," and the plea was accepted.
He requested an expedited sentencing, citing the crisis in Sudan, desire to see his elderly mother and the possibility of a time served sentence. The AUSA disagreed about the sentence, but agreed to expedite. It will be August 8 at 10 am.
The case is US v. Alboushari, 19-cr-17 (Furman)
***
Your support means a lot. As little as $5 a month helps keep us going and grants you access to exclusive bonus material on our Patreon page. Click here to become a patron.
