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Kevin JamesAmerican terrorist
Country:
 USA |
Content:
Biography of Kevin James
Kevin James, an American terrorist, gave his only televised interview after being convicted. He spoke with journalist Eric Lonagabardi in early 2009, proclaiming his innocence and claiming that the government had imprisoned him solely because of his faith.
Arrest and Accusations
On August 31, 2005, James and three others were charged with terrorism. They were accused of being connected to a conspiracy to attack military facilities in the Los Angeles area and prepare for the attack through a series of robberies at gas stations in Southern California. Kevin James, a newly converted Muslim, was accused of creating a radical Islamist group called "DIIS" (Jam'iyyat ul-Islam Is-Saheeh) or "Assembly of Authentic Muslims" from his prison cell in Folsom Prison, California. He was also involved in recruiting fellow inmates to join him in the mission to "kill the unbelievers."
Legal Proceedings
The arrests were announced by Attorney General Alberto Gonzales in the presence of FBI Director Robert Mueller in Washington, D.C. Two more individuals were arrested in connection with the case. While awaiting trial, James and his accomplices were held in prison, and the trial took place in October 2006. Robert Mueller mentioned the incident in his "Address to Senior Executives" in June 2006, the same day news broke about a terrorist plot in Miami to attack the Sears Tower. The FBI deputy director handed the case over to the jurisdiction of Congress in September 2006. On December 14, 2007, Kevin James was found guilty of "conspiracy to levy war against the United States through terrorism" and was sentenced to twenty years in a federal prison. His colleague, Levar Washington, was also found guilty and faced the possibility of receiving a twenty-five-year sentence due to additional charges of weapon possession.
Interview and the Fate of Others
In his interview with Eric Lonagabardi, conducted after his conviction, Kevin James maintained his innocence and alleged that the government had unjustly imprisoned him because of his religious beliefs. The fate of the other two terrorists, Gregory Patterson and Hammad Samana, remains uncertain. Patterson awaits exoneration, while Samana undergoes a psychological evaluation. During the interview, the reporter noted that there were no indications of new plans within the prison cell. Moreover, they were even allowed to keep a press release written by James after a successful terrorist act. Documents like this served as evidence of the group's criminal activities, with James being one of its leaders who had been incarcerated for a long time.
