WASHINGTON, April 7 (UPI) -- A Somali pirate was sentenced to 25 years in prison for armed piracy against a merchant vessel carrying U.S. goods, the U.S. Justice Department said Thursday.
Jama Idle Ibrahim, 39, of Somalia drew the prison sentence in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia after pleading guilty in September to conspiracy to commit piracy and conspiracy to use a firearm during commission of a crime of violence, the department said in a release.
Ibrahim and other pirates captured the M/V CEC Future in November and held the vessel, 13 crew members and cargo for 71 days, forcing the ship to anchor in waters off the Somali coast. The ship is owned by Clipper Group, a Danish company, and contained cargo belonging to McDermott International Inc. of Texas. The vessel was released on Jan. 16, 2009, after Clipper Group paid $1.7 million in ransom.
"Modern-day pirates are nothing like the swashbuckling heroes in Hollywood movies," said U.S. Attorney Ronald Machen. "Today's pirates are ruthless criminals who hold ships and their crews hostage with AK-47s and rocket-propelled grenades."
The conviction is the first in the District of Columbia for a piracy-related offense, the department said.
