Short Prison Term For Man Who Lied In Somali Case, Somali man who lied to FBI to spend 4 months in prison

update from Prosecutor: Somali Man Lied When Truth Mattered
Somali man who lied to FBI to spend 4 months in prison
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) ― A Minnesota man who lied to FBI agents investigating whether local Somalis had traveled to their homeland to join a terror group was sentenced Friday to four months in prison, less than half the minimum term sought by prosecutors.Abdow Munye Abdow, 26, is among more than a dozen people facing various charges in the government's investigation. He pleaded guilty to obstruction of justice after lying about a cross-country trip he took with four men, including one on a terror watch list.The judge said that although Abdow eventually cooperated with investigators, he committed a serious crime because the government has concerns that people trained in terror tactics could pose a threat to the U.S.

"You knew very well what you were doing and you lied," U.S. District Judge James Rosenbaum said. "This is a serious matter."Abdow, a U.S. citizen of Somali descent, did not travel to Somalia. He has no connection to any terrorist group, defense attorney Earl Gray told the judge."He got into something and once he realized what he got into, he got out of it," Gray said.Rosenbaum said he factored Abdow's prior clean record and eventual cooperation with investigators into his decision. He ordered Abdow to spend four months on home detention after his prison term, even though prosecutors wanted him to spend 10 to 16 months in prison, as federal guidelines recommend. Defense attorneys had argued for probation.Before the sentence was announced, Abdow apologized and told the judge, "You will never see me in this situation ever again."Authorities are investigating the travels of roughly 20 men who left Minnesota starting in late 2007. All but one of the men were of Somali descent, and investigators believe they wanted to join al-Shabab, a violent group that wants to establish an Islamic state in Somalia. U.S. security officials believe the group has ties to al-Qaida.Abdow, of Chanhassen, lied to FBI agents last October about a trip he took with four men, one of whom was on a terror watch list and is now at large. Prosecutors said in a court filing that Abdow obstructed a "fast-moving" investigation into the disappearance of three men from Minnesota.When he was interviewed by the FBI, Abdow at first told agents he was with one other person. He then admitted there were more, but said he did not know their names or who paid for the car. He eventually said he'd rented the car and knew the names or nicknames of all the men.The car was stopped by Nevada Highway Patrol troopers on Oct. 6, 2009. The group told troopers they were headed to San Diego for a friend's wedding, but they gave inconsistent explanations about how they knew each other and who was getting married.The troopers learned that the driver, Cabdulaahi Ahmed Faarax, was on a terrorist watch list, but there were no outstanding warrants so the group was allowed to leave.Faarax and one other person in Abdow's car were among three people later seen being dropped off by taxi at a Mexican border crossing near San Diego. The men told a border official they were flying from Tijuana to Mexico City.Faarax and at least one of the other men are now believed to be outside the U.S.Assistant U.S. Attorney Anders Folk said in court Friday that Abdow had several opportunities to tell the truth. Instead, he told investigators that he would "take his chances," according to a federal affidavit."He took those chances, Your Honor, and that's why he's here today," Folk said. "You don't get to lie to the FBI."Gray, Abdow's attorney, noted that Abdow spent six years in a refugee camp before coming to the U.S., where he learned English, graduated from a St. Paul high school and received training as a medical technician. The married father of two lost the job because of the criminal charge.More than a dozen friends and family members were in the courtroom to support Abdow. They declined comment after the hearing. Folk also declined comment, while Gray's only comment was that Abdow is "a good kid."Rosenbaum said Abdow must report to prison on or before Aug. 16. He said Abdow will be on electronic monitoring while on home detention, and must comply with other conditions.