Wave Hill Events Sep 29–Oct 6

Sat, September 30    Family Art Project: Mapping the Bronx Green

Visiting artist Francisco Donoso, exhibiting in Call & Response, the fall exhibition in Glyndor Gallery, works with the visual language of cartography and abstraction to make multi-layered artworks. Using recycled maps and printmaking, create individual collages or join in a collaborative map installation highlighting Bronx green spaces—like Wave Hill. Free, and admission to the grounds is free untilnoon. 

WAVE HILL HOUSE, 10AM‒1PM

Sat, September 30    Garden Highlights Walk

Join a Wave Hill Garden Guide for an hour-long tour of seasonal garden highlights. Free, and admission to the grounds is free until noon.

MEET AT PERKINS VISITOR CENTER, 11AM

Sat, September 30    Call & Response Artist Talk: Jeff Slomba

On select Saturdays, Call & Response artists will be presenting talks, readings, live music, performance art and workshops in and around Glyndor Gallery. This Saturday, Call & Response artist Jeff Slomba demonstrates and speaks about the production and use of charcoal as a drawing tool in his art. His work, Pyre, uses twigs and branches found onsite at Wave Hill as elements in constructing the work’s charcoal drawing and accompanying structure. Free with admission to the grounds.

GLYNDOR GALLERY, 2PM

Sun, October 1    Family Art Project: Mapping the Bronx Green

Visiting artist Francisco Donoso, exhibiting in Call & Response, the fall exhibition in Glyndor Gallery, works with the visual language of cartography and abstraction to make multi-layered artworks. Using recycled maps and printmaking, create individual collages or join in a collaborative map installation highlighting Bronx green spaces—like Wave Hill. Free with admission to the grounds. 

WAVE HILL HOUSE, 10AM‒1PM

Sun, October 1    Garden Highlights Walk

Join a Wave Hill Garden Guide for an hour-long tour of seasonal garden highlights. Free with admission to the grounds.

MEET AT PERKINS VISITOR CENTER, 2PM

Sun, October 1    Meet the Artists: Beth Ganz & Mona Kamal

Join us at this artist talk in Wave Hill House. Artists Beth Ganz and Mona Kamaleach discuss their projects on view. Paintings and prints by Ganz depict aerial views resembling topographic maps and photographs portraying ghostly images of trees covered in Spanish moss. Kamal’s paintings on birch bark feature delicately rendered flowering trees, inspired by patterns and motifs from Islamic tilework, miniature paintings and textiles. Free with admission to the grounds.

WAVE HILL HOUSE, 3PM

Mon, October 2    

Closed to the public.

Tue, October 3    Art Workshop Series Begins: Solving Daily Issues in Nature Photography

Nature photographer Benjamin Swett reviews exposure, image correction, monitor calibration and printing to help students turn their raw captures into stunning prints and digital files. Bring your digital camera and troubleshooting questions. Beginners welcome. $185/$150 Wave Hill Member. Registration required, online atwavehill.org or onsite at the Perkins Visitor Center. The four-session series continues October 10, 17 and 24.

WAVE HILL HOUSE, 10AM–1PM

Tue, October 3    Garden Highlights Walk

Join a Wave Hill Garden Guide for an hour-long tour of seasonal garden highlights. Free, and admission to the grounds is free until noon.

MEET AT PERKINS VISITOR CENTER, 11AM

Tue, October 3    Gallery Tour

Wave Hill’s Curatorial Fellow leads a tour of the current exhibition in Glyndor Gallery. This fall, the entire gallery is given over to new site-responsive projects honoring the tenth anniversary of Wave Hill’s Sunroom Project Space. Call & Response showcases the work of 50 artists who have exhibited in this unique venue, in projects ranging from art objects created from natural materials gathered onsite, to sound pieces, outdoor installations and performance works. Free with admission to the grounds.

GLYNDOR GALLERY, 2PM

A 28-acre public garden and cultural center overlooking the Hudson River  and Palisades, Wave Hill’s mission is to celebrate the artistry and legacy of its gardens and landscape, to preserve its magnificent views, and to explore human connections to the natural world through programs in horticulture, education and the arts.

HOURS  Open all year, Tuesday through Sunday and many major holidays: 9AM–5:30PM, starting March 15.  Closes 4:30PM, November 1–March 14.

ADMISSION  $8 adults, $4 students and seniors 65+, $2 children 6–18. Free Saturday and Tuesday mornings until noon. Free to Wave Hill Members and children under 6.

PROGRAM FEES  Programs are free with admission to the grounds unless otherwise noted.

Visitors to Wave Hill can take advantage of Metro-North’s one-day getaway offer. Purchase a discount round-trip rail far and discount admission to the gardens. More at http://mta.info/mnr/html/getaways/outbound_wavehill.htm

DIRECTIONS – Getting here is easy! Located only 30 minutes from midtown Manhattan, Wave Hill’s free shuttle van transports you to and from our front gate and Metro-North’s Riverdale station, as well as the W. 242nd Street stop on the #1 subway line. Limited onsite parking is available for $8 per vehicle. Free offsite parking is available nearby with continuous, complimentary shuttle service to and from the offsite lot and our front gate. Complete directions and shuttle bus schedule at www.wavehill.org/visit/.

Information at 718.549.3200. On the web at www.wavehill.org.

Senator Klein, Assemblyman Dinowitz & Council Member Cohen pen letter to DOT requesting lighting study at Riverdale site where 9/11 memorial plaque was stolen

Five American flags have also been taken from Endor Community Garden

Senator Jeff Klein, Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz and Council Member Andrew Cohen wrote a joint letter to the city Department of Transportation requesting the agency conduct a lighting study in a Riverdale community garden where numerous 9/11 memorials have been stolen since June.

“To steal a memorial honoring local police officers and firefighters who made the ultimate sacrifice on 9/11 is unthinkable. The Endor Community Garden is a proven crime target, and one simple way to help combat this is by providing light to the area. I urge the DOT to do the right thing and get this process started by initiating a lighting survey immediately,” said Senator  Klein.

“The Endor Community Garden is a beautiful nook in our neighborhood that local residents have worked very hard to maintain and preserve to honor police officers and firefighters killed in the 9/11 attacks. This beautiful memorial has been vandalized on more than one occasion and we must take action to make sure this does not happen again. Providing better lighting discourages vandalism and so I urge the DOT to take the necessary steps to make this happen immediately,” said Assemblyman Dinowitz

"The thefts were disrespectful to the victims of 9/11, all those who grieve them, and to our community," said Council Member Andrew Cohen. "Conducting a lighting study in the area will help us understand what measures need to be taken to put an end to theft and vandalism in Endor Community Garden."

The thefts occurred at Endor Community Garden near West 253rd Street and Fieldston Avenue over a span of several weeks this summer. A plaque honoring local local police officers and firefighters killed in the Sept. 11 terror attacks was the first memorial taken. A local resident temporary replaced the plaque with American flags, but those too were taken on five separate occasions.

Nobody has yet been found responsible for the thefts and some community members have expressed concern over the lack of lighting in the the area surrounding the garden. To help deter another senseless theft, the Bronx lawmakers urge the city DOT to perform a lighting survey of the location. New lighting would increase safety and help prevent thefts to any future memorials at the site.

Six Members Of The “Rollin’ 30s” Crips Street Gang Charged With Racketeering, Narcotics, And Firearm Offenses

Charges Include the March 26, 2015, Murder of Innocent Bystander Victor Chafla

  Joon H. Kim, the Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Angel M. Melendez, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New York City (“HSI”), and James P. O’Neill, Commissioner of the New York City Police Department (“NYPD”), announced the unsealing of a Superseding Indictment charging WALSTON OWEN, a/k/a “Purpose,” RICHARD FELIZ, a/k/a “Dirt,” SHAQUILLE BAILEY, a/k/a “Shaq,” a/k/a “Jefe,” MIGUEL CABA, a/k/a “Miggs,” and NATHANIAL RODRIGUEZ, a/k/a “Cook,” with various crimes relating to racketeering, narcotics, and firearms offenses, including charges against FELIZ for the March 26, 2015, murder of Victor Chafla, an innocent bystander.  The defendants are charged as a result of their membership in the “Rollin’ 30s,” a subset of the nationwide Crips street gang.  Another individual, LEWIS TURNBULL, a/k/a “Lew,” was charged solely with a narcotics offense.  OWEN and COOK were arrested on these charges yesterday; FELIZ, BAILEY, TURNBULL, and CABA were already in federal custody on other charges.  OWEN and COOK will be presented in Manhattan federal court today before Chief Magistrate Judge Deborah Freeman.  The case is before United States District Judge Victor Marrero, and the defendants will be arraigned before Judge Marrero on September 14.

Acting U.S. Attorney Joon H. Kim said:  “As alleged in the superseding indictment, these defendants brought drugs and violence to the streets of our community, including the tragic murder of an innocent bystander, Victor Chafla. We commend the extraordinary efforts of our law enforcement partners to bring these defendants to justice, and express our hope that Mr. Chafla’s family and friends find some measure of justice in today’s charges.”

HSI Special Agent in Charge Angel M. Melendez said:  “These gang members are purported to have committed acts of violence, including murder and robbery, just to fund and protect its criminal enterprise, with one crew member alleged to have shot and killed an innocent bystander. These street gangs plague our community and HSI, with its longstanding partnership with the NYPD, will continue its efforts to rid our neighborhoods of such tormenters and ensure it’s known that they are not welcome.”

NYPD Commissioner O’Neill said:  “These alleged members of a Crips crew have been indicted on racketeering, narcotics and firearms-related charges.  One of the defendants is accused of shooting and killing an innocent bystander during a dispute with a rival gangmember in the Soundview section of the Bronx. These are serious offenses, and the type of violence we remain focused on that has led to significant reductions in crime.  I want to thank the members of the NYPD, the Southern District, and Homeland Security Investigations who have been working on this case.”

According to the allegations contained in the Indictment[1] and other documents in the public record, and statements made in court:

From 2013 to 2017, in the Southern District of New York and elsewhere, WALSTON OWEN, RICHARD FELIZ, SHAQUILLE BAILEY, MIGUEL CABA, and NATHANIAL RODRIGUEZ were members or associates of a racketeering enterprise known as the “Rollin’ 30s.”  In order to fund the enterprise, protect and expand its interests, and promote its standing, members and associates of the Rollin’ 30s committed, conspired, attempted, and threatened to commit acts of violence, including murder and robbery; they conspired to distribute and possess with intent to distribute narcotics; and they obtained, possessed, and used firearms, including by brandishing and discharging them.  LEWIS TURNBULL also conspired with certain members of the Rollin’ 30s to distribute and possess with intent to distribute crack cocaine and marijuana.

During a dispute with a member of an opposing crew, on March 26, 2015, FELIZ fired a gun in an attempt to kill that individual.  FELIZ instead hit an innocent bystander, Victor Chafla. Chafla died from his wounds a few days later.

The maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and are provided in the attached table for informational purposes only, as any sentencings of the defendants will be determined by a judge

Mr. Kim praised the investigative work of the NYPD and HSI.

The charges contained in the Indictment are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. 

	Count	Charges	Defendants	Maximum Penalties
1		Racketeering Conspiracy	WALSTON OWEN, RICHARD FELIZ, SHAQUILLE BAILEY, MIGUEL CABA, and NATHANIAL RODRIGUEZ	Life in prison (all defendants except FELIZ)   Life in prison or death (FELIZ)
2		Conspiracy To Commit Murder in Aid of Racketeering	RICHARD FELIZ	Life in prison
3		Murder in Aid of Racketeering	RICHARD FELIZ	Life in prison or death
4		Use of a Firearm Resulting in Death	RICHARD FELIZ	Life in prison or death
5		Using, Carrying, Possessing, Brandishing, and Discharging Firearms	WALSTON OWEN, RICHARD FELIZ, SHAQUILLE BAILEY, MIGUEL CABA, and NATHANIAL RODRIGUEZ	Life in prison   Mandatory minimum of 10 years in prison
6		Narcotics Conspiracy	WALSTON OWEN, RICHARD FELIZ, SHAQUILLE BAILEY, and LEWIS TURNBULL	Life in prison   Mandatory minimum of 10 years in prison

Brian Coll, Former Correction Officer At Rikers Island, Sentenced To 30 Years In Prison For The Beating Death Of Inmate Ronald Spear

  Joon H. Kim, the Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that BRIAN COLL, a former New York City Correction Officer, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Loretta A. Preska to 30 years in prison for causing the death of Ronald Spear, a pre-trial detainee at Rikers Island, and for obstructing justice by covering up the true cause of Spear’s death.  COLL, then a correction officer on Rikers Island, was convicted following an eight-day jury trial of, among other charges, causing Spear’s death by repeatedly kicking him in the head while he was restrained and lying prone on the floor, in violation of his rights under the United States Constitution.  Spear died shortly after the attack.  COLL was arrested on a complaint on June 10, 2015, and has been in federal custody since that time. 

In imposing today’s sentence, Judge Preska stated:  “This is a serious offense that requires a serious punishment.  It is also a crime where deterrence is, in the Court's view, an important consideration.”

Acting Manhattan U.S. Attorney Joon H. Kim said:  “Correction Officer Brian Coll brutally beat to death Ronald Spear, an ailing and vulnerable Rikers Island inmate.  As proven at trial, after Spear had been restrained by other correction officers and lay prone on the ground, Coll reared his leg back and kicked Spear in the head, over and over again.  What Officer Brian Coll did on December 19, 2012 – viciously beating to death a defenseless man – was a murderous crime, whether inside or outside prison.  And he has now been held accountable for it.  The protections of the U.S. Constitution extend to all of us, including those within our prison walls.  Today’s sentencing of Brian Coll reminds us all of that.”

According to the allegations in the Indictment and the evidence introduced at trial: 

Rikers Island is a jail complex located in the Bronx, New York, maintained by the New York City Department of Correction.  At the time of his death, Ronald Spear was a pretrial detainee incarcerated on Rikers Island in the North Infirmary Command, a facility housing detainees who, like Spear, have serious or chronic medical needs.  In the early morning hours of December 19, 2012, Spear left the housing area in the infirmary unit in an attempt to see the on-duty doctor but was stopped by COLL, who said that the doctor was not available to see him.  In an altercation that ensued, COLL punched Spear several times in the face and stomach, after which Spear was restrained by two other correction officers, Anthony Torres and Byron Taylor.  While Spear was lying prone on the ground and was still restrained, COLL repeatedly kicked Spear in the head, even after Torres attempted to shield Spear’s head with his hand and shouted at COLL to stop.  After COLL stopped kicking Spear, COLL lifted up Spear’s head, told him to remember who had done this to him, and then dropped Spear’s head to the ground.  Spear was pronounced dead at the scene shortly after the assault.

Spear’s autopsy was conducted at the Bronx Office of the Chief Medical Examiner (the “CME”).  The autopsy revealed that Spear had at least three recent contusions on his skull, and that he had suffered a “brain bleed” caused by blunt force trauma to the head, consistent with Spear being kicked in the head while he was lying prone on the ground.  The CME found that Spear had suffered a cardiac arrhythmia as a result of the head trauma.  The assault by COLL was therefore, as the jury found, the cause of Spear’s death.

After Spear’s death, COLL, Taylor, Torres, and others, covered up the true cause of Spear’s death by concocting a false story that turned Spear into the aggressor, falsely claiming that Spear had attacked COLL with a cane.  Specifically, COLL falsely claimed that Spear had attacked him with a cane, and Torres agreed to support this false version of events and further agreed not to not relay that COLL had repeatedly kicked Spear in the head.  Additionally, at Taylor’s request, COLL, Torres, and an additional correction officer agreed to claim falsely that Taylor was not present for the incident.  Consistent with their agreement, the conspirators filed false Use of Force reports with the Department of Correction and lied repeatedly to Department of Correction supervisors and investigators, and to the Bronx District Attorney’s Office.

COLL and his coconspirators propagated this false version of events after being advised by a Rikers captain to be consistent in the Use of Force reports that the officers were required to submit following Spear’s death.  Additionally, when no cane was recovered from the crime scene – potentially calling into doubt COLL’s claim that Spear had attacked him with a cane – another Rikers captain directed a correction officer to take a cane from a supply area and to pass it off to investigators as the cane used in the incident.  

BRIAN COLL, 47, of Smithtown, New York, was sentenced to 30 years in prison and five years of supervised release. 

Mr. Kim praised the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Criminal Investigators at the United States Attorney’s Office.  Mr. Kim also thanked the New York City Department of Correction, Investigative Division, and the Bronx District Attorney’s Office for their assistance in the investigation.

CONGRESS MEMBERS ENGEL & LOWEY MEET WITH USPS DEPUTY POSTMASTER STROMAN TO DISCUSS POSTAL ISSUES IN WESTCHESTER, ROCKLAND, AND THE BRONX

Congressman Eliot Engel and Congresswoman Nita Lowey met with United States Postal Service Deputy Postmaster General Ron Stroman in Congressman Engel’s Washington office to discuss the systemic issues plaguing the post office branches in Westchester, Rockland, and Bronx Counties. The Congress Members presented Deputy Postmaster Stroman with a list of complaints they had received from constituents, including reports of late or missing deliveries; inconsistent or false information from postal officials; post offices not open during the listed opening hours; and phone calls that are routinely unanswered or ignored throughout the day in the post office. The Congress Members made clear that this type of service is unacceptable and the response from postal officials has been inadequate. They were told by Mr. Stroman that steps are being taken to improve service and that additional resources have been allocated to the area.

“We have been reassured by Mr. Stroman that he will return in 30 days to assess the progress that has been made. We hope for positive improvement, but our offices will continue to work with constituents to resolve their complaints. The system is broken, and we were very clear with Mr. Stroman that it needs to be quickly fixed. We remain cautiously optimistic, but will also continue to hold postal officials accountable at the highest level to ensure improved service for our constituents,” Engel and Lowey said.

Bronx Council for Environmental Quality - Fall Events and Actions

SAVE THESE DATES

Monday, September 18 City Council Hearing 1 pm

The Role of the Parks Department in Regulating Recreational Waterfront Access.

250 Broadway - Committee Rm, 14th Fl.

Tuesday, 9/19 at 6:30 pm Tibbetts Brook Community Meeting

The NYC Department of Parks and Recreation will present the latest Tibbetts Brook wetland restoration design at Manhattan College - Leo School of  Engineering, 3825 Corlear Avenue (Rm: 215).  RSVP https://www.eventbrite.com/e/tibbetts-brook-wetland-restoration-community-meeting-tickets-37464934628

Wednesday, October 25, 2017 Save Our Watershed

Attend the Harlem River Water Conference

Bronx Museum of the Arts

1040 Grand Concourse, Bronx, NY 10456

6 to 8:30 pm – Doors open at 5:30 pm

Canoe mobile in the Bronx on October 25

ACTION ITEMS

Save Pier 5! The city is taking parkland, promised to the community, to build 2 high-rise apartment buildings.  Our community needs more parks to address the poor air quality in the South Bronx!

Ask your Council Member to Please vote NO to taking our parkland!

Contact Your Council Member

Mail, Phone, Fax, Email info on the web page:

District   Member                  Internet Info

11           Andrew Cohen      council.nyc.gov/district-11

12          Andy King          council.nyc.gov/district-12

13          James Vacca      council.nyc.gov/district-13

14          Fernando Cabrera      council.nyc.gov/district-14

15          Ritchie J. Torres      council.nyc.gov/district-15

16         Vanessa L. Gibson      council.nyc.gov/district-16

17         Rafael Salamanca Jr.      council.nyc.gov/district-17

18         Annabel Palma                  council.nyc.gov/district-18

8           Melissa Mark-Viverito        council.nyc.gov/district-8

Primary Day Results Bronx

  You may know by now just who won what election, but here are the percentages.

Mayor  - Bill de Blasio 75 % the four others 25%.

Bronx Borough President - Ruben Diaz Jr.  86%, Carmella Price 12%, Avery Selkridge 2%

City Council

District 12 - Andy King 69%, Pamela Hamilton Johnson 27%, Karee-lyn Gordon 4%

District 13 - Mark Gjonaj 39%. Marjorie Velazquez 34%, John Doyle 19%, Victor Ortiz 5 %, Egidio Sementilli 3 %.

District 14 - Fernando Cabrera 55 %, Randy Abreau 35 %, Felix Perdomo 10 %

District 17 - Rafael Salamanca 73 %, Helen Hines 27 %

District 18 - Ruben Diaz Sr. 42 %, Amanda Farias 21 %, Elvin Garcia 15 %, Michael Beltzer 14 %, William Moore 9 %.

District 8 - Manhattan/Bronx -to close to call, absentee ballots have to counted only 122 votes separate Diana Ayala at 44 % and Robert Rodriguez  at 42 %, Tamika Mapp 10 %, and Israel Martinez 4 %.

United States Citizen Pleads Guilty To Providing Material Support To Al Shabaab

Maalik Jones Trained and Fought with the Terrorist Organization’s Specialized Fighting Force, Jaysh Ayman

  Joon H. Kim, the Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and Dana J. Boente, Acting Assistant Attorney General for National Security, announced that MAALIK ALIM JONES pled guilty today before U.S. District Judge Paul G. Gardephe to conspiring to provide material support to al Shabaab, a designated Foreign Terrorist Organization based in Somalia, conspiring to receive military training from al Shabaab, and carrying and using an AK-47 machine gun, rocket-propelled grenades, and other destructive devices in furtherance of his support for al Shabaab. In 2011, JONES, a United States citizen, traveled to Somalia, where he took up arms and provided military support to al Shabaab for approximately four years.

Acting U.S. Attorney Joon H. Kim said: “As he admitted in court today, Maalik Jones traveled to Somalia, was trained by al Shabaab in the use of an AK-47 and rocket-propelled grenades, and took up arms for four years as a terrorist fighter. For his allegiance to this lawless, terrorist organization that vows to destroy America and its values, Maalik Jones been held to account in an American court of law. All that is left is for him to be sentenced for his crimes.”

Acting Assistant Attorney General Dana J. Boente said: “Jones pleaded guilty to conspiring to provide material support to al Shabaab, by traveling abroad to join and fight on behalf of the foreign terrorist organization for four years. I want to thank the many prosecutors, agents, and analysts who made this result possible.”

According to the Complaint, the Indictment, the Superseding Information, and statements made in court proceedings, including today’s guilty plea:

In February 2008, the U.S. Department of State designated al Shabaab as a Foreign Terrorist Organization. Al Shabaab has used violent means – including targeted assassinations of civilians and journalists, and the use of improvised explosive devices, rockets, mortars, and automatic weapons – to, among other things, destabilize the government of Somalia, quell the Somali population, and force the withdrawal of foreign troops in Somalia. A former leader of al Shabaab, whose exhortations were echoed by the leadership of al Qaeda, called for foreign fighters to join al Shabaab in a “holy war” in Somalia. As a result of al Shabaab’s recruitment efforts, men from other countries – including the U.S. – have traveled to Somalia to engage in violent jihad.

Since al Shabaab’s designation as a Foreign Terrorist Organization in February 2008, it has made several public statements demonstrating its intent to harm U.S. interests. For example, in or about April 2008, al Shabaab released a statement declaring a campaign against the U.S. Similarly, after an al Shabaab member was killed in May 2008, al Shabaab leaders announced that the mujahideen would “hunt the U.S. government” and that governments supporting the U.S. and Ethiopia should keep their citizens out of Somalia. In April 2009, al Shabaab claimed responsibility for mortar attacks against a U.S. congressman who had been visiting Somalia, and in February 2012, the then-Emir of al Shabaab swore allegiance to Ayman al-Zawahiri, the Emir of al Qaeda, stating that al Shabaab “will hereby merge into al Qa’ida.”

Al Shabaab also maintains a specialized fighting force, known as Jaysh Ayman, that is responsible for carrying out commando-style attacks and cross-border raids in which fighters, among other things, travel across the land border between Somalia and Kenya to target individuals and conduct attacks against civilian and military targets in Kenya. Among the attacks executed by Jaysh Ayman fighters are: (i) a June 16, 2014, attack in which al Shabaab fighters opened fire in a hotel bar in Mpekatoni, Kenya, killing approximately 40 people; (ii) a July 2014 attack in Hindi, Kenya, in which approximately 12 al Shabaab fighters opened fire at a trading center and set fire to government buildings and a church, killing nine people; and (iii) a June 14, 2015, attack in which al Shabaab fighters ambushed a Kenyan Defense Force base in Lamu County, Kenya, using various weapons, including AK-47 rifles and rocket-propelled grenades and killing two Kenyan Defense Force soldiers (the “Lamu Attack”).

In or about July 2011, JONES left Baltimore, Maryland, with the intent to join al Shabaab in Somalia. JONES traveled to New York City, from where he flew via commercial aircraft to Kenya, with stopovers in Morocco and the United Arab Emirates. After arriving in Kenya, JONES traveled by land from Kenya to Somalia, which is a common travel route for foreign fighters traveling to Somalia to join al Shabaab.

In Somalia, JONES joined al Shabaab and was a member of the terrorist organization for approximately four years. During this time, JONES trained, worked, and fought with al Shabaab in Somalia. Among other things, JONES received three months of military training at an al Shabaab training camp, where he learned, among other things, how to operate an AK-47 assault rifle and rocket-propelled grenades. Upon completion of this training, JONES also was assigned to al Shabaab’s specialized fighting force, Jaysh Ayman, and participated in combat against soldiers of the Kenyan government on behalf of al Shabaab.

In particular, after joining Jaysh Ayman, JONES and his Jaysh Ayman unit participated in a battle in Afmadow, Somalia, against Kenyan government soldiers. JONES, armed with an AK-47 rifle, engaged in the fighting until he was injured by a missile and then hospitalized. After his release from the hospital, JONES returned to his service with al Shabaab and, in particular, Jaysh Ayman.

JONES has appeared with other al Shabaab fighters in videos that were recovered from an al Shabaab fighter who participated in and was killed during the aforementioned Lamu Attack. In one of the videos, JONES possessed a firearm, and is seen with several al Shabaab fighters. The al Shabaab fighters are depicted greeting each other, hugging each other, and carrying firearms.

On or about December 7, 2015, JONES was taken into custody by Somali authorities while he was attempting to procure a boat to depart Somalia for Yemen.

JONES, 32, a United States citizen who resided in Maryland until 2011, pled guilty to one count of conspiring to provide material support to al Shabaab; one count of conspiring to receive military training from a designated foreign terrorist organization; and one count of possessing, carrying, and using a machine gun and other destructive devices during and in relation to a crime of violence. The material support count carries a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison. The military training count carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison. The machine gun count carries a maximum sentence of life in prison, with a mandatory minimum sentence of 30 years in prison, which must run consecutively to any other sentence. The minimum and maximum potential sentences are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant would be determined by the Court. JONES, who has been detained since his arrest in December 2015, will be sentenced by Judge Gardephe on January 25, 2018.

Mr. Kim praised the investigative work of the FBI’s New York Joint Terrorism Task Force – which principally consists of agents from the FBI and detectives from the New York City Police Department. He also thanked the U.S. Department of Justice’s National Security Division and Office of International Affairs, and the U.S. Department of State, for their assistance.