Maalik Alim Jones, Terrorist Support, New York 2017

A New York man has been sentenced to 35 years in prison for providing material support to al Shabaab, a designated Foreign Terrorist Organization based in Somalia.

Maalik Alim Jones, a United States citizen, was sentenced in Manhattan federal court on September 8, 2017 for conspiring to provide material support to al Shabaab, conspiring to receive military training from al Shabaab, and carrying and using an AK-47 machinegun, rocket-propelled grenades, and other destructive devices in furtherance of his support for al Shabaab.

According to the Complaint, the Indictment, the Superseding Information, and statements made in court proceedings, including at sentencing, Jones traveled to Somalia in February 2011, where he took up arms and provided military support to al Shabaab for approximately four years.

U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman said, 'We may never know what drove Maalik Jones to travel to Somalia and pledge allegiance to al Shabaab, a terrorist organization that has vowed to destroy America. But we do know that with today's sentence, Jones is no longer a threat to America's ideals.'

Assistant Attorney General John C. Demers said, 'U.S. citizens who travel overseas to fight with a terrorist organization – which is what Jones did – betray our country and pose a serious threat to our national security. The National Security Division remains committed to identifying and stopping terrorists like Jones, and we will hold them accountable.'

Al Shabaab has used violent means, including targeted assassinations of civilians and journalists, and the use of improvised explosive devices, rockets, mortars, and automatic weapons, to destabilize the government of Somalia, quell the Somali population, and force the withdrawal of foreign troops in Somalia.

Since al Shabaab's designation as a Foreign Terrorist Organization in February 2008, it has made several public statements demonstrating its intent to harm U.S. interests.

Defendant:

Maalik Alim Jones

Criminal Charges:

Conspiring to provide material support to al Shabaab, conspiring to receive military training from al Shabaab, and carrying and using an AK-47 machinegun, rocket-propelled grenades, and other destructive devices in furtherance of his support for al Shabaab

City and State:

New York

Exact Date:

September 8, 2017

Sentence or Outcome:

35 years in prison

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/pr/united-states-citizen-sentenced-35-years-prison-providing-material-support-al-shabaab