Convicted Taliban supporter guilty of breaking probation

SEATTLE – A Muslim convert convicted of helping the Taliban was found guilty Thursday of violating his probation and was sent back to prison.

James Ujaama, 41, appeared in U.S. District Court where prosecutors said he had violated terms of his probation by fleeing to Belize in December with a fake Mexican passport.

He was found guilty of making false statements to a federal officer, failing to follow instructions of a probation officer, possessing a Mexican passport with a false name and leaving the United States without permission of the court.

Judge Barbara Rothstein sentenced Ujaama to two years in federal prison, the maximum penalty allowed.

Ujaama’s attorney, Peter Offenbecher, apologized to the court on behalf of his client. Assistant U.S. Attorney Eric Bruce would not comment after Thursday’s brief hearing on whether the government will back out of its plea agreement with Ujaama.

Previously, federal officials had said if Ujaama is found guilty of parole violations, the government could back out of its plea agreement and file new charges that he offered support to terrorists.

Ujaama, born James Earnest Thompson, was charged in 2002 with trying to set up a terrorist training camp for Muslim cleric Abu Hamza al-Masri.

In 2003, he pleaded guilty to conspiring to provide cash, computers and fighters to the Taliban. In exchange, Ujaama served a two-year sentence and agreed to cooperate with terrorism investigations until 2013.