Search Results for: minnesota men
June 16, 2018 — Scott Johnson
The three “Minnesota men” who were convicted after a three-week trial in federal court in Minneapolis appealed their convictions to the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit. I covered the trial every day on Power Line and following the convictions in the Weekly Standard article “‘Minnesota men’ on trial.” The Eighth Circuit heard oral argument in the appeals this past Thursday morning before a three-judge panel including
»
November 20, 2017 — Scott Johnson
In today’s Star Tribune Stephen Montemayor takes a look at recently unsealed FBI search warrants in ongoing Minnesota terrorism investigations. Here is the opening of his story: The former Edison High School theater student had changed his Facebook name to “Mujahid Ibrahim Abu Tuabah.” He wrote reverently of four Twin Cities friends who had joined the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, and boasted that the terror group “will never
»
November 18, 2016 — Scott Johnson
This post continues “Sentencing the ‘Minnesota men'” (3). In these two posts I offer my observations and impressions of the nine sentencing hearings in the case of the Somali Minnesotans who have pleaded guilty to, or have been convicted of, conspiracy to support ISIS among other related charges. The nine men sought to leave Minnesota to wage jihad with ISIS in Syria. The Weekly Standard has just published my condensed
»
November 17, 2016 — Scott Johnson
I attended the nine sentencing hearings in the ISIS conspiracy case brought in April 2015 against the “Minnesota men” (as the Somali Minnesotans are usually described in the headlines). Six of the defendants pleaded guilty; two of the six cooperated with the government by assisting the investigation and testifying against the three who contested the charges and went to trial this past May. On June 3 a Minnesota jury returned
»
November 14, 2016 — Scott Johnson
Judge Davis has presided over the convictions of nine “Minnesota men” (Somali Minnesotans) who conspired to support ISIS and will now sentence then individually at hearings to be conducted today through Wednesday. He has scheduled three hearings a day in an ascending order of difficulty: three defendants who cooperated with the prosecution today, three who pleaded guilty with no cooperation tomorrow and three who contested the charges at trial on
»
November 5, 2016 — Scott Johnson
Nine “Minnesota men” have pleaded guilty (six) or been convicted (three) in the big ISIS conspiracy case that was originally filed in Minnesota last year. “Minnesota men” is the preferred media descriptor of the Somali defendants in the case. The case was assigned to Judge Michael Davis, before whom the case was tried over three weeks this past May. I attended the trial and wrote about it every day on
»
July 2, 2016 — Scott Johnson
This has become a familiar story out of Europe, but it is something new under the sun in Minneapolis. Although it is big news, I can’t find any evidence of the story in the Star Tribune (please let me know if I missed it) — another element that gives the story a European dimension. Brett Hoffland warily reports for (KSTP TV) 5 Eyewitness News: Minneapolis police are investigating a series
»
June 3, 2016 — Scott Johnson
At 1:30 this afternoon the jury delivered its verdict in the case of the three “Minnesota men” charged with conspiracy to provide material support to ISIS and conspiracy to commit murder overseas. The jury found the three men guilty on all counts with the exception of one perjury charge against Abdirahman Daud. (Daud gave a Clintonian response to an inartfully asked question before the grand jury. The Clintonian approach earned
»
June 2, 2016 — Scott Johnson
The prosecution and defense made their closing arguments to the jury on Tuesday and Wednesday. Judge Davis instructed the jury and submitted the case to them with separate verdict forms for each of the three defendants. The charges include a total of ten counts. I would guess the jury will until the middle of next week. The Star Tribune’s Stephen Montemayor gives relatively straightforward accounts of the closings here (May
»
May 28, 2016 — Scott Johnson
Both the prosecution and defense rested their cases yesterday following the testimony of defendant Guled Omar. Omar was the only one of the three defendants who elected to testify on his own behalf. I infer that defendants were advised by their capable lawyers to exercise their right to remain silent and put the government to meeting its burden of proof against them, but that Omar chose to reject that advice.
»
May 27, 2016 — Scott Johnson
The end approacheth. The prosecution called its final witnesses and rested yesterday. The last two government witnesses testified to the undercover sting operation leading to the arrest of two of the three defendants (Abdirahman Daud and Mohamed Farah) in San Diego, where they thought they were procuring fake passports facilitating their travel to join ISIS in Syria. The FBI used an undercover officer detailed from the San Diego police department
»
May 26, 2016 — Scott Johnson
Well, I went to the trial yesterday and a fight broke out. Waiting in the hallway to enter the courtroom at the appointed hour, the hallway was thick with those of us wanting to take a seat inside. I stood directly behind a young Somali lady wearing a hijab. As she started pushing and shoving, she repeatedly dropped the F-bomb at maximum volume within shouting distance of the jury. One
»
May 25, 2016 — Scott Johnson
Judge Davis’s concerns about maintaining order in the courthouse were well founded, to say the least. He knows what he is doing, or trying to do. While we were waiting to be admitted to Judge Davis’s courtroom this morning a few mintues ago, a rumble broke out between Somali factions in the hallway. A young Somali woman started yelling that she would not be instructed where to sit by another
»
May 25, 2016 — Scott Johnson
Conspirator turned government informant Abdirahman Bashir completed his testimony during his fifth day on the stand yesterday. Defense counsel Bruce Nestor represents Abdhirahman Daud and is the best lawyer at the trial. He aggressively cross examined Bashir about his role promoting the trip to San Diego that culminated in the arrest of Daud and Mohamed Farah. (Ruled Omar was arrested in Minneapolis.) Bashir worked with the FBI to promise fake
»
May 24, 2016 — Scott Johnson
Conspirator turned government informant Abdirahman Bashir returned to the stand for a fourth day yesterday. He completed direct examination in the morning before the lunch break. Defense counsel have commenced their cross examination of Bashir and should complete it today. So far my estimate is that Bashir is an effective witness for the government. He recorded hours of conversations with defendants beginning in February 2015, culminating in the arrest of
»
May 22, 2016 — Scott Johnson
The recordings made by conspirator turned informant Abdirahman Bashir took center stage for three hours at the trial of the three “Minnesota men” on Friday. They came in “fast and furious,” including so many items of interest that I found it hard to keep up as they were played in court. I therefore overlooked several in my post yesterday. Here is one with a little help from the Star Tribune’s
»
May 21, 2016 — Scott Johnson
Conspirator turned FBI informant Abdirahman Bashir remained on the stand as the prosecution played three more hours of conversations with the defendants that he secretly recorded in February, March and April 2015. Judge Davis excused the jury for the weekend at 12:30. During their opening statements, defense counsel portrayed the three defendants as innocents ensnared by the government. Defense counsel sought to create the impression that their clients’ interest in
»
