Press Release
JOSE PADILLA AND CO-DEFENDANTS SENTENCED ON TERRORISM CHARGES
January 22, 2008
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
MIAMI - A federal Judge in the Southern District of Florida has sentenced Jose Padilla, Adham Amin Hassoun, and Kifah Wael Jayyousi on charges of conspiracy to murder, kidnap and maim individuals in a foreign country, conspiracy to provide material support to terrorists, and providing material support to terrorists, Assistant Attorney General for National Security, Kenneth L. Wainstein, and United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, R. Alexander Acosta, announced today.
U.S. District Judge Marcia Cooke sentenced Padilla to a term of 208 months', Hassoun to a term of 188 months' imprisonment, and Jayyousi to a term of 152 moths' imprisonment.
"I want to thank the many attorneys and staff, both prosecution and defense, as well as judicial officers, who worked diligently on this prosecution. Their efforts often go unrecognized, yet it is their work that helps ensure justice in our nation," said U.S. Attorney R. Alexander Acosta.
"I applaud the professionalism and perseverance of the many agents, investigators and prosecutors who worked so tirelessly to bring this case to a successful conclusion. Thanks to their efforts, the defendants' North American support cell has been dismantled and can no longer send money and jihadist recruits to conflicts overseas," said Kenneth L. Wainstein, Assistant Attorney General for National Security.
The defendants were charged in an 11-count superseding indictment returned on Nov. 17, 2005. The jury found the defendants guilty of being part of a North American support cell designed to send money, physical assets, and mujahideen recruits to overseas jihad conflicts. The cell operated from many cities in the United States and Canada, and supported and coordinated with other support networks and mujahideen groups waging violent jihad.
The jury found that Padilla traveled overseas to receive violent jihad training and to fight violent jihad, which would include acts of murder, kidnapping and maiming, from October 1993 to November 2001. On July 24, 2000, Padilla filled out a "Mujahideen Data Form" in preparation for violent jihad training in Afghanistan.
Mr. Acosta commended the investigative efforts of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) at the Department of Homeland Security.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brian Frazier, Russell Killinger and John Shipley of the Southern District of Florida, and Trial Attorney Stephanie Pell of the Counterterrorism Section of the Justice Department's National Security Division.
A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the United States Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Florida at http://www.usdoj.gov/usao/fls. Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at http://www.flsd.uscourts.gov or on http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov.
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