Update, 9 p.m. Eastern time: Jany Leveille, one of five suspects arrested at a New Mexico compound last week, has been transferred to the custody of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), Taos County Sheriff Jerry Hogrefe said Tuesday, according to Fox News and other outlets.
Siraj Ibn Wahhaj and four other defendants accused of abusing children in a jihadi training camp in New Mexico were expected to be released Tuesday on bond, many news outlets reported, including Townhall.
As of early Tuesday morning, all five suspects were still inside the Taos Detention Center.
That’s according to reporting by Gadi Schwartz of NBC News.
All 5 suspects are still inside Taos Detention center contrary to reporting from other national networks. At least 4 of them are expected to be released today.
— Gadi Schwartz (@GadiNBC) August 14, 2018
Judge Sarah Backus on Monday ruled against the prosecutors’ request to hold the five individuals without bond pending their trial on child abuse charges.
The judge said that the prosecution failed to demonstrate that the alleged perpetrators posed “any specific threats to the community,” as Fox News reported.
The evidence presented by the prosecution was meant to “paint a disturbing picture of a zealous family training for a violent mission against government institutions,” CNN reported.
Though one child is dead apparently connected to the father’s attempt at exorcism and 11 more children are, at the bare minimum, traumatized and malnourished, the judge still saw fit to order their release.
Prosecutors described the group as “Muslim extremists,” with the defense countering that law enforcement had treated them unfairly based on their religion, according to The Washington Post.
Judge Backus ruled to allow the group’s release on an unsecured $20,000 bond.
She is requiring them to wear GPS trackers and to stay within Taos County unless they have permission, the outlet continued.
And in related news Judge Backus releases jihadis on a signature bond?!
Don’t worry; I’m sure they’re under the same sharia-compliant monitoring of grandpa Imam Siraj Wahhaj Sr. If they do 1 thing wrong their signing hand will be severed just like at the Saudi Chop Chop square. https://t.co/EcbokIUG5p
— M. Zuhdi Jasser (@DrZuhdiJasser) August 14, 2018
"Siraj Wahhaj has apparently been on the radar of federal counterterrorism officials for 13 years on suspicion of jihadist activity…this guy builds a compound where they're training starving children to become the next generation of militants and shoot up schools." –@DLoesch pic.twitter.com/u1JGwx38An
— NRATV (@NRATV) August 14, 2018
You @SirajWahhaj are a terrorist/criminal, father of terrorist/criminal children and a mentor of terrorist affiliated terrorism supporters: @lsarsour.
You don’t belong in the USA. You belong in Guantanamo bay prison.
— Imam Tawhidi (@Imamofpeace) August 12, 2018
This article has been updated.
Michele Blood is a Flemington, New Jersey-based freelance writer and regular contributor to LifeZette.
Join the Discussion
COMMENTS POLICY: We have no tolerance for messages of violence, racism, vulgarity, obscenity or other such discourteous behavior. Thank you for contributing to a respectful and useful online dialogue.