| Semi
Sealed
Sentencing for
NJ Man Who
Pled to Trying
to Join Al
Shabaab Put
Off for
Filings
by
Matthew Russell Lee, Patreon Book
Substack
SDNY
EXCLUSIVE,
June 30 – A man who left New
Jersey to try to join Al
Shabaab, inspired or triggered
by the October 7 Hamas
terrorist attack on Israel and
its aftermath, argued to be
released on bail on December
29 in U.S. District Court for
the Southern District of New
York Magistrates Court.
Inner City Press
was there, the only media in
the SDNY Mag court, and live
tweeted, thread:
KARREM NASR, a US
citizen, was taken into
custody in Nairobi, Kenya on
Dec 14, 2023 and was
transported to the US
yesterday. Nasr is
led in by US Marshals.
Judge:
These are terrorism charges...
You chose jihad over studying.
I order you detained.
A preliminary
hearing was set for January
12.
But the day
before, on January 11, 2024,
Nasr's case was indicted and
assigned to District Judge
Analisa Torres.
On April 24, the
US Attorney's Office opposed
Nasr's bid for bail, now
quoting him tweeting against
"a post announcing the birth
of a gay couple's son via
surrogate" by stating, "and
this is why we fly jets into
skyscrapers."
On January 7,
2025 Judge Torres set a change
of plea for January 27 at 4
pm.
Inner City Press
was there. Nasr pled guilty;
his Federal Defender said he
will "characterize
differently" the US' evidence
at sentencing, set for June 30
at 10 am. But what's in the
plea agreement?
It gets worse: on
March 5 the US Attorney's
Office wrote in that "the
defense wish to make arguments
based on classified
information. The government
wishes to allow the defense to
make such arguments without
disclosure beyond the court
and cleared defense counsel."
On March 6,
announcement of a semi-sealed
sentencing with memos only
after:"Within 30 days after
sentencing, the defense and
the Government shall each file
the redacted copies of their
supplemental sentencing
submissions on the public
docket. Cf United States v.
Schulte, No. 17 Cr. 548, 2024
WL 1526151 (S.D.N.Y. Apr. 9,
2024); United States v.
Pelton, 696 F. Supp. 156 (D.
Md. 1986). The sentencing
scheduled for June 30, 2025,
will be bifurcated. The first
half of the proceeding will
take place in a closed,
classified setting, at which
the Court will hear from the
parties with respect to the
classified material discussed
in the supplemental
submissions. The second half
of the proceeding will take
place in open court."
Late on June 23
the US Attorney's Office wrote
in asking for 15 years, with a
sealed exhibit.
On June 26 the
Federal Defender wrote in
asking for no more than three
years, citing autism and
something redacted.
On June 30, a new
schedule: "as to Karrem Nasr
Defendant to file a
supplemental sentencing
submission by July 21, 2025.
The Government shall file its
optional response, if any, by
August 11, 2025. In addition,
by August 11, 2025, both
parties shall file
supplemental letter briefs
addressing issues related to
prison location and passport
restrictions. Status
conference set for September
8, 2025, at 9:00 a.m."
Watch this
site.
The case is USA
v. Nasr, 1:24-cr-19 (Torres)
More on Substack here
***
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