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MN man who joined Islamic State group sentenced to 10 years
Abelhamid Al-Madioum, 27, cooperated with federal authorities ahead of Thursday’s hearing, which prosecutors factored into their recommendation for a lower sentence.
MINNEAPOLIS — A Minnesota man who once fought for the Islamic State group in Syria after becoming radicalized expressed remorse and wept in open court Thursday as he was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison.
Abelhamid Al-Madioum, 27, cooperated with federal authorities ahead of Thursday’s hearing, which prosecutors factored into their recommendation for a lower sentence than the statutory maximum of 20 years.
U.S. District Judge Ann Montgomery said among the cases she has presided over in her 40 years on the bench, Al-Madioum’s was “extraordinary.” She cited his confounding path from a loving Minnesota home to one of the world’s most notorious terror organizations and his subsequent collaboration with the government he betrayed.
When Al-Madioum rose to speak before being sentenced, he thanked the U.S. government for giving him another chance. He then turned to his address his parents and two young sons, who were rescued from a Syrian orphanage and brought to America with the help of federal authorities.
“I know I put you through so much, and I did with the belief that it was my religious duty,” Al-Madioum said while fighting back tears. “That’s no excuse. My first duty should have been to you.”
Al-Madioum, a naturalized U.S. citizen, was among several Minnesotans suspected of leaving the U.S. to join the Islamic State group, along with thousands of fighters from other countries worldwide. Roughly three dozen people are known to have left Minnesota to join militant groups in Somalia or Syria. In 2016, nine Minnesota men were sentenced on federal charges of conspiring to join IS.
But Al-Madioum is one of the relatively few Americans who have been brought back to the U.S. who actually fought for the group. According to a defense sentencing memo, he’s one of 11 adults as of 2023 to be formally repatriated to the U.S. from the conflict in Syria and Iraq to face charges for terrorist-related crimes and alleged affiliations with IS. Others received sentences ranging from four years to life plus 70 years.
Prosecutors had asked for a 12-year sentence, arguing that Al-Madioum’s suffering did not make his crimes any less serious. Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew Winter said Al-Madioum self-radicalized online and helped IS, also known as ISIS, carry out its goals.
“Young men just like him all over the world … allowed ISIS to flourish,” Winter said.
Manvir Atwal, Al-Madioum’s attorney requested a seven-year sentence. She said Al-Madioum was taken in as an impressionable teenager by a well-oiled propaganda machine. He rejected extremist ideology years ago and had helped the government in other terrorism cases, which prosecutors confirmed.
Montgomery opted for a 10-year sentence, weighing sentencing guidelines with Al-Madioum’s cooperation and letters on his behalf, including one from an unnamed former U.S. ambassador. He has already served over five years and might get credit for that time, Atwal said.
Al-Madioum grew up in the Minneapolis suburb of St. Louis Park in a loving and nonreligious family, the defense memo said. He joined IS because he wanted to help Muslims he believed were being slaughtered by Syrian President Bashar Assad’s regime in that country’s civil war. IS recruiters persuaded him “to test his faith and become a real Muslim.”
Al-Madioum was 18 in 2014 when IS recruited him. The college student slipped away from his family on a visit to their native Morocco in 2015. Making his way to Syria, he became a soldier for IS until he was maimed in an explosion in Iraq. His leg was shattered and his arm had to be amputated. Unable to fight, he used his computer skills to serve the group.
While still a member of IS, he married and had children with two women.
He had thought his second wife and their daughter had died. But in court Thursday, Al-Madioum said he had heard there is a chance she and their daughter might still be alive. That possibility remains under investigation, Atwal said.
Al-Madioum’s first wife died in his arms after she was shot in front of him by either rebel forces or an IS fighter in 2019, the defense said. Al-Madioum said in court that he dug a trench and buried her.
The day after that shooting, he walked with his sons and surrendered to the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces, which held him under conditions the defense described as “heinous” for 18 months until the FBI returned him to the U.S.
He pleaded guilty in 2021 to providing material support to a designated terrorist organization. His sons were eventually found in a Syrian orphanage, the culmination of what he and Montgomery described as a unique effort from U.S. diplomats and other officials.
Al-Madioum’s parents were awarded custody of his sons after they arrived in America. Sitting in the court’s gallery Thursday, his sons, ages 7 and 9, sat on their grandparents’ laps and smiled at their father as he turned to face them.
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Police Chief Brian O’Hara says officers responded to the 3500 block of Penn Ave. N after ShotSpotter technology technology activated and found a man down.
MINNEAPOLIS — Homicide investigators are looking for suspects after a man was fatally shot on the north side of Minneapolis overnight.
Police Chief Brian O’Hara said in a news release that squads were dispatched to the 3500 block of Penn Ave. N just before 11 p.m. after ShotSpotter technology activated. Officers arrived and found a man down, suffering from at least one gunshot wound.
First responders immediately began lifesaving care and the victim was rushed to North Memorial Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead.
“My thoughts are with the victim’s family,” said Chief O’Hara in a released statement. “This man’s loved ones will be dealing with an incredible loss during the holiday season. I urge anyone who may know information about what happened to contact our investigators.”
Homicide investigators arrived and began conducting interviews and looking at evidence in an effort to identify suspects. Video suggests the victim was shot outside a garage or in the alley, as investigators could be seen combing the ground with flashlights looking for evidence.
Anyone with information on the shooting or those who might be responsible is asked to call police at 612-673-5845 or email MPD. Those who would like to stay anonymous can call CrimeStoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477) or submit tips electronically on the CrimeStoppers website.
The decision comes after an hours-long discussion over who was best to lead the district in the future
ST PAUL, Minn. — The St. Paul Public School district board has voted unanimously to offer the superintendent job to Dr. Stacie Stanley.
Stanley is the current superintendent of Edina Public Schools.
“Dr. Stanley brings strong leadership experience and expertise in building relationships with the community, improving student outcomes and enhancing equity in diverse school districts,” said Board Chair Halla Henderson.
The unanimous vote came after hours of debate and discussion on which of the three candidates – Stanley, Dr. Rhoda Mhiripiri-Reed, and Dr. Brenda Cassellius – would be better suited to lead the district in the future. Board members discussed who would put an emphasis on safety, rebuilding trust, an ability to consider their budget problems, and considering the needs of students.
According to the SPPS website, Dr. Stanley, “led the (Edina) district’s strategic plan to create accelerated student achievement across all demographic groups, including a comprehensive literacy plan.”
Dr. Stanley previously worked as an associate superintendent at Eden Prairie Schools, and has worked in several other districts around the Twin Cities metro. She is the current president-elect of the Minnesota Association of School Administrators.”
That meeting was packed with parents and students, mainly of the Hmong community. After hours of discussion, they voiced their concerns for what the district needs, including a public comment period that came after the board voted for Dr. Stanley.
“We as a Hmong community are strong here in St. Paul. No matter who comes in to represent or work for us, they will keep us in their agenda,” Mee Moua, on the Hmong Parent advisory Council, said. “And so they see us front and center, that we matter, that we are here, they need to hear us, they need to see us.”
At the Hennepin Healthcare Burn Center in Minneapolis, providers have treated three patients with similar cases since the start of this winter season.
MILACA, Minn. — Like many Minnesotans and as a lifelong hunter and angler, Justin Cowden of Milaca typically spends the winter season outdoors. This winter, Cowden is forced to spend most of his time inside and on crutches after the electronically heated insoles he was wearing malfunctioned, exploded and left him with second and third-degree burns.
KARE reported on a similar case on Monday. Since then, more people have reported experiencing similar injuries.
Cowden purchased the insoles from the seller Meisinuo on Amazon in November of last year. The link to the product has since been taken down.
After wearing the insoles last winter with no issues, Cowden put them on once again for the first time this year on Nov. 30—the first day of muzzleloader hunting season. “I was sitting in the stand, and the sun just started to pop up and I heard a pop,” he recalled. “I was thinking the neighbor was shooting at a deer and then all of a sudden, the bottom of my foot just started rolling. I didn’t know what was going on, so I jumped up from my chair and I screamed because I felt the burning, and then I pulled my pant leg up and I saw the smoke coming out of my boot.”
Cowden said it took him less than 10 seconds to remove his boot. When he did, the insole came out in pieces and the battery was stuck to his skin. “I just ripped it off because I didn’t know what else to do. It was a scary situation.”
Cowden was told by specialists he sustained second and third-degree burns on his left foot. Three weeks later, he is still using crutches and following up with weekly appointments. Doctors told him his treatment could possibly require skin graft surgery. “It’s tough. It definitely is,” Cowden said.
At the Hennepin Healthcare Burn Center in Minneapolis, providers have treated three patients with similar cases since the start of this winter season.
It’s something medical professionals are seeing more of, according to Hennepin County Medical Center’s Trauma Prevention Coordinator Kaytlin Hanson.
“We’ve had three patients since the beginning of winter already come in with varying degrees of burns on the lower extremities from first to third-degree, and it is from these insoles malfunctioning or even exploding,” she said. “Our medical staff was kind of shocked. This isn’t something that we’ve seen necessarily in the past, so when you see something that’s all of a sudden, ‘Wow, we have three immediately right away this season,’ we definitely want to get the messaging out there that this is probably a product to stay away from.”
Hanson recommends sticking to tried and true methods of staying warm. “We want you to be wearing some well-insulated boots that are well-fitting, waterproof, and then wearing those thick wool socks. That’s great and all the protection you should need.”
Cowden said he is sharing his story in hopes of warning others who are thinking of buying similar products. “It’s nice to have warm feet when you’re out hunting and fishing, but no, it’s not worth it to deal with that pain,” he said. “It’s the worst pain ever, and like I said, I wouldn’t wish it on anybody.”
