American al Qaeda gets 10 year sentence

Houston Chronicle:

Daniel Joseph Maldonado, a former Houston resident and Muslim convert who admitted training with terrorists overseas, was sentenced Friday to 10 years in prison.

The 28-year-old, who appeared in Houston federal court with his hair in two fat braids, is the first American charged with joining al-Qaida in Somalia.

Based on Maldonado's criminal history and "offense level," he could have received 30 years to life in prison. But under federal statute, the charge to which he pleaded guilty — receiving military-type training from a foreign terrorist organization — carries a decade behind bars.

"You can't go above the statutory maximum," said Abe Martinez, the assistant U.S. attorney who oversees terrorism prosecutions in the Southern District of Texas. Congress is increasing that penalty to 15 years, Martinez said, to equalize it with punishments for similar terrorism violations.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Gary Cobe, who prosecuted Maldonado's case, said he hopes it will deter others who consider involvement with terrorist groups.

"I think it was a just sentence," Cobe said after the brief hearing. "We are fighting a war against terrorism and we need to send out the message that anyone who is going to be getting involved in terrorism is going to pay the price and they need to be punished."

Maldonado also was fined $1,000.

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In handwritten statements during overseas interviews with U.S. agents, Maldonado confessed to attending training camps to prepare for jihad, or holy war, from December 2006 through January. He also acknowledged associating with al-Qaida while receiving firearms and explosives training. In one statement, he said he had "no problem" with fighting or killing Americans, nor with the Sept. 11 attacks.

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This guy is not very smart, which is probably a good thing or he would have been more dangerous. He took his wife and three kids to a terrorist training camp in Somalia and his wife died from malaria while they were there, another victim of Rachel Carson's African genocide. When the Ethiopians overran the Islamic Court positions that protected the al Qaeda training camp, Maldonado was caught fleeing with his kids to Kenya.