Mistrial in case of Andrews AFB security guard

Mistrial in case of Andrews AFB security guard
By Stephen Manning - The Associated Press
Posted : Monday Dec 3, 2007 21:07:04 EST

GREENBELT, Md. — A federal judge on Monday declared a mistrial in the case of a former Andrews Air Force Base security guard accused of failing to include his Muslim name on a background check to hide his ties to a controversial Washington imam and mosque.

U.S. District Judge Deborah Chasanow made the ruling after jurors failed to reach a verdict for Darrick Michael Jackson following two days of deliberations. Jurors sent a note to the judge Monday afternoon, saying they could “see no light at the end of the tunnel.”

Jackson, 37, of Washington, was charged with making a false statement for not listing “Abdul-Jalil Mohammed” as an alias on the federal form he was required to fill out in 2005. He could have been sentenced to five years in prison if convicted.

Jackson’s defense was that he did not know he had to include his religious name for the background check he needed to work at the suburban Washington base that is home to Air Force One. His attorney also accused the government of going after the security guard for religious and political reasons.

However, prosecutors said Jackson left off the Mohammed name because he feared it would arouse suspicion and scuttle his chance to keep his job at the base. They highlighted his ties to the Masjid Al-Islam mosque in southeast Washington, and some of the inflammatory statements made by Imam Abdul Alim Musa. That included Musa’s praise for suicide bombers.

Prosecutors stressed, however, that they were not bringing the case against him because of his faith.


Rest of article at: http://www.airforcetimes.com/news/2007/12/ap_securityguardtrial_071203/



uhc comment: Previous thread on this airman -->

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=259&topic_id=7508

terminated, but not imprisoned