Long Island jihadist sentenced to 25 years in prison

[The Bobster]

LI teen faces 30 years in prison for trying to join al Qaeda in Yemen to wage war on American forces

http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/qaeda_forces_faces_years_yemen_prison_1cIWfwE4YmwuKmvOtzXloI

LI teen faces 30 years in prison for trying to join al Qaeda in Yemen to wage war on American forces
By SELIM ALGAR
Last Updated: 1:54 PM, June 26, 2013
Posted: 1:52 PM, June 26, 2013

A Long Island teenager faces up to 30 years in prison for attempting to join a Yemeni branch of al Qaeda so he could wage acts of violence against American forces, officials said today.

Justin Kaliebe, 18, of Bay Shore, was arrested by NYPD and federal agents at JFK Airport in January as he prepared to board a flight to Oman, according to a complaint unsealed in Brooklyn federal court today. He planned to travel by land to Yemen to sign up with al Qaeda, officials said.

Kaliebe, who converted to Islam in his early teens, told undercover agents that he wanted to wage jihad against America and its international interests.

"Kaliebe attempted to turn his back on his country and align with radical terrorists," US Attorney Loretta Lynch said in a statement today. "His goal was to travel overseas to wage violent jihad against Yemeni and U.S. forces opposed to al-Qaeda,"

He pleaded guilty to attempting to provide material support for terrorist groups.

"The NYPD is concerned about the continuing interest of some young Americans in violent jihad and their identification with terrorist organizations like AQAP," said NYPD Commissioner Ray Kelly. "That is why the NYPD Intelligence Division continues to track individuals allegedly evincing support for terrorism, and, that is why we worked in close cooperation with the JTTF to apprehend this suspect."

During one recorded conversation, Kaliebe expressed admiration for Osama Bin Laden's ability to bring America "to its knees."

In an e-mail, Kaliebe swore his loyalty to the Yemeni branch of al Qaeda and its leaders. "I pledge my loyalty, allegiance and fidelity to the Mujahedeen of Al-Qaa'idah in the Arabian Peninsula and its leaders, Shaykh Abu Baseer Nasir Al-Wuhayshi and Shaykh Ayman Al-Zawahiri,” he wrote.

 

[The Bobster]

http://nypost.com/2015/04/20/long-island-jihadist-sentenced-to-25-years-in-prison/

Long Island jihadist sentenced to 25 years in prison
By Selim Algar
April 20, 2015 | 12:52pm

Marcos Alonso Zea
Photo: Victor Alcorn


A homegrown jihadi​st​ from Long Island was ​sentenced Monday to 25 years in prison ​​by a federal judge in Long Island after pleading guilty to plotting to join ​al Qaeda.

Marcos Alonso Zea, 27, of Brentwood, was arrested in 2013 along with co-conspirator Justin Kaliebe and charged with supporting the terror group.

In the fall of 2011, Zea hop​​ped on a flight to London from JFK ​with plans to travel to Yemen, authorities said. He was barred from leaving England and was instead returned to America where he was placed under heavy surveillance.

Prosecutors said he and Kaliebe, of Bay Shore, continued to nurture dreams of waging jihad. Kaliebe was eventually arrested in 2013 as he tried to board a flight from JFK to Yemen.

After learning that he was being investigated, Zea attempted to destroy electronic evidence of his research on extremist activity online. He eventually pleaded guilty to providing material support to terrorists to avoid a potential life sentence.

Kaliebe has yet to be sentenced.

“Marcos Alonso Zea presents a chilling reminder of the danger presented to the United States by homegrown terrorists,” said U.S. Attorney Loretta Lynch after the sentencing.

“Born, raised and schooled in the United States, the defendant nevertheless betrayed his country by attempting to join al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, assisting a co-conspirator’s attempt to join that terrorist group, and, after learning he was under investigation, attempting to destroy evidence of his guilt.”

 

[The Bobster]

http://nypost.com/2016/09/02/long-island-jihadist-loses-bid-to-retract-plea-deal/

Long Island jihadist loses bid to retract plea deal
By Lia Eustachewich
September 2, 2016 | 1:12am

A Long Island jihadist convicted of trying to join al Qaeda lost his bid Thursday to retract a plea deal that landed him 25 years behind bars.

A panel of Second Circut appeals judges found Marcos Alonso Zea, 27, of Brentwood, didn’t prove there was a “reasonable probability” he would have declined to plead guilty last year if he had known he was giving up rights.

 

[The Bobster]

http://nypost.com/2017/01/10/judge-gives-light-sentence-to-autistic-wannabe-terrorist/

Judge gives light sentence to autistic wannabe terrorist
By Kevin Sheehan and Lia Eustachewich
January 10, 2017 | 9:01pm

Justin Kaliebe (right)


A wannabe terrorist from Long Island was sentenced Tuesday to 13 years in prison by a federal judge who took pity on him because he’s autistic.

Justin Kaliebe, 22, of Bay Shore, faced up to 30 years for trying to join a Yemeni branch of al Qaeda in 2013 to wage jihad against the US.

Long Island federal court Judge Denis Hurley agreed that Kaliebe was “radicalized to the nth degree” but said he has a “malady” and “probably falls somewhere on the autistic scale.”

“I am very sympathetic to this defendant,” said Hurley during the hours-long sentencing proceeding in Central Islip. “Besides from the havoc he intended to cause, he is a very nice young man.”

Before a courtroom packed with relatives and friends, Kaliebe tearfully apologized for turning to radical Islam as a way to escape a childhood of bullying.

“I thought I finally found true friends at the mosque in Bay Shore,” he said about converting to Islam in his early teens. “I have now renounced Islam. I have chosen to be guided by love.”

Kaliebe’s mother audibly wept in court as he added, “I regret every day of my actions. I wish I was in college right now. I wish I could be with my mother and sister right now.”

He begged Hurley not to throw the book at him.

“Please, Judge Hurley, don’t lock me up and throw away the key. Let me have another chance to live my life,” Kaliebe said.

In 2013, Kaliebe pleaded guilty to two counts of attempting to provide material support to terrorists.

He’ll be under 20 years of supervised release once he gets out of prison.

His co-defendant Marcos Alonso Zea was sentenced to 25 years for also plotting to join al Qaeda.