NORFOLK, VIRGINIA (BNO NEWS) -- A U.S. federal court has sentenced two Somalis to life in prison for their roles in the pirate attack against the American yacht S/V Quest, which resulted in the murder of four U.S. citizens, prosecutors said.
The suspects, who were identified as 30-year old Ali Abdi Mohamed and 31-year old Burhan Abdirahman Yusuf, previously pled guilty to piracy, which carries a mandatory life sentence.
"Piracy is a scourge that threatens nations, commerce, and individual lives," said Neil MacBride, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. "This is the first case where American lives have been lost due to Somali piracy, and as Somali pirates expand their territory, the risk of violence and harm to others continues to grow. Today's sentences send a message to all those who participate in piracy that armed attacks on the high seas carry lifelong consequences."
According to court documents, Mohamed and Yusuf were among 19 Somalis who, after several days of sailing the sea in search of a vessel to pirate and hold for ransom, assaulted the Quest and held hostage its four passengers. However, they were overtaken by U.S. warships as they were sailing back to Somalia.
The U.S military offered to allow the pirates to take the vessel as long as they released the hostages but the conspirators refused the deal because they believed they would get little money just for the boat. A rocket propelled grenade (RPG) was then fired at the military warship and the hostages were shot at in an attempt to get the U.S. boats to retreat.
When the U.S. military personnel boarded the Quest, they took 15 individuals into custody, including a juvenile who has not been charged in this case. Four pirates were deceased, as well as the four hostages.
"The pirates' vain attempt to obtain ransom, after nine days at sea, ended in the death of four Americans. Today's life sentences will be heard throughout the pirate community - and should send a clear message - that the days of unbridled armed robbery and extortion at sea are over. The only plunder these pirates earned is life behind bars," said Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI's New York Field Office Janice K. Fedarcyk.
On Thursday, 50-year old Mohammad Saaili Shibin was charged for his alleged role as a ransom negotiator in the attack on the Quest and a similar role in a separate attack on the M/V Marida Marguerite, a German-owned vessel with a crew of 22 men who were held hostage off the coast of Somalia from May to December 2010.
According to the indictment, Shibin successfully extracted a ransom payment for the release of Marida Marguerite and its crew from which he received a share of approximately $30,000 to $50,000.
Nine other co-conspirators have previously also pled guilty for the Quest hijacking and murders and will be sentenced in the coming weeks. Three men have already been charged with kidnapping, hostage-taking and murder of the four U.S. citizens onboard the American vessel. If convicted, they could face death penalties.
The two owners of the vessel the Quest were on an "around-the-world" trip that began in mid-December 2004 when they were hijacked. "This is planned to be an eight or ten year voyage," the website's homepage said at the time, which identified the owners as Scott Underwood Adam and Jean Savage Adam. Phyllis Patricia Macay and Robert Campbell Riggle were the other victims.