BROOKLYN, NY – A Queens man today admitted to a shockingly violent attack on a federal correctional officer at the Metropolitan Detention Center (MDC) in Brooklyn. Ali Saleh, 26, pleaded guilty to assault and possessing contraband just as jury selection for his trial was set to begin. The attack left the officer seriously injured, requiring surgery.
According to federal prosecutors, on July 13, 2018, Saleh, then an inmate at the MDC facing charges related to attempting to provide material support to ISIS, ambushed a senior correctional officer. While the officer was retrieving trash through the slot of Saleh’s cell, Saleh reached through and slashed him with an improvised knife, causing deep lacerations to the officer’s right forearm. Saleh then reportedly smiled at the wounded officer and chillingly stated, “I hope you die.”
“Saleh viciously attacked a correctional officer performing routine duties at the MDC, causing the officer serious injury,” declared United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, Richard P. Donoghue. “Correctional officers place themselves on the front line every day and all inmates should know that we will relentlessly prosecute those who threaten or assault them.” The FBI’s New York Field Office, led by Assistant Director-in-Charge William F. Sweeney, Jr., assisted in the investigation.
This guilty plea comes on top of another conviction already secured against Saleh. On July 24, 2018, he previously pleaded guilty to attempting to provide material support to ISIS. The sentencing for the assault and contraband charges – carrying a potential penalty of up to 25 years – will be added to the sentence he receives for his ISIS-related conviction, meaning Saleh faces a potentially lengthy period behind bars.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Phil Selden and Douglas M. Pravda. The MDC in Brooklyn has faced scrutiny in recent years regarding safety and security, and this case underscores the dangers faced by correctional officers daily. While details of the contraband used in the attack remain sparse, investigators confirmed it was a homemade weapon fashioned within the jail.
Ali Saleh, of Queens, New York, now awaits sentencing in E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 18-CR-468 (WFK). This case serves as a grim reminder of the threats faced within the federal prison system and the Justice Department’s commitment to prosecuting those who endanger the lives of those who maintain order within it.
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Key Facts
- State: New York
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Violent Crime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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