(SomaliNet) A U.S. citizen convicted of receiving training at a terrorist camp alongside al-Qaida members in his efforts to help overthrow the Somali government was sentenced Friday to 10 years in prison, AP reports. Daniel Joseph Maldonado, 28, a Muslim convert also known as Daniel Aljughaifi and Abu Mohammed, also was fined $1,000. Maldonado admitted to traveling in December to a terrorist camp in Somalia, where he was trained to use firearms and explosives in an effort to help a group called the Islamic Courts Union topple the government and install an Islamic state. Members of al-Qaida were present at the camp.
| Sounds pretty guilty to me. |
In April, he pleaded guilty to a charge of receiving training from a foreign terrorist organization. Ten years was the maximum prison sentence Maldonado could have received. He faced a fine of up to $250,000.
Federal prosecutor Gary Cobe said after the hearing that the sentence was
Maldonado's defense attorney, Brent Newton, did not speak to reporters after the hearing. But before the sentence was handed down, Newton said that while his client is not making excuses for what he did, he went to Somalia and the Middle East only to practice his Muslim faith in peace and not to join a terrorist group. "He wants it to be known he never intended to hurt Americans," Newton said. Maldonado declined to make a statement during the hearing.
| Just a pious man. With firearms training. |
| 'Became separated'? Likely story. |