A Somali man who was accused of piracy last year in the hijacking of an American-flagged cargo ship off Somalia appears to be in negotiations to plead guilty, according to a government letter filed on Monday in Federal District Court in Manhattan.
The man, Abduwali Abdukhadir Muse, whose age is uncertain, was brought to New York last April and charged in the hijacking of the Maersk Alabama that month. The authorities have said Mr. Muse was the leader and only survivor from a group that commandeered the ship, whose captain was rescued in a Navy Seal operation.
In the letter, an assistant United States attorney asked Judge Loretta A. Preska to schedule “a plea proceeding” on May 10. The prosecutor, Brendan R. McGuire, said he was writing on behalf of the government and the defense.
The letter offered no details about any negotiations and did not say whether such talks might be part of an effort by Mr. Muse to cooperate in any investigations regarding Somali piracy.
If convicted of piracy, Mr. Muse would face a mandatory life sentence. One possible strategy by Mr. Muse’s lawyers would be to seek a deal in which he could plead guilty to a lesser charge that would reduce his potential sentence; or to have any cooperation be factored into a request for leniency.
Yusill Scribner, a spokeswoman for the United States attorney’s office, declined to comment, as did Philip L. Weinstein, one of Mr. Muse’s lawyers.
In January, prosecutors filed additional charges against Mr. Muse involving two earlier ship hijackings. He has pleaded not guilty to the charges against him.
Source: nytimes.com
No comments:
Post a Comment