A British-born man who was a member of a team of Islamic State militants in Syria nicknamed “The Beatles” and accused of beheading American hostages pleaded guilty on Thursday to eight U.S. criminal charges including lethal hostage taking and conspiracy to support terrorists.
London-born Alexanda Kotey is one of two Islamic State members who were held in Iraq by the U.S. military before being flown to the United States to face trial on terrorism charges.
Appearing before U.S. District Judge T.S. Ellis at a hearing in Alexandria, Virginia, Kotey pleaded guilty to the murders of U.S. journalists James Foley and Steven Sotloff and aid workers Kayla Mueller and Peter Kassig.
The charges carried potential death sentences, but U.S. authorities have advised British officials that American prosecutors will not seek the death penalty against Kotey.
Ellis said that under a tentative arrangement between U.S. and British authorities, Kotey could be transferred to Britain after 15 years’ imprisonment. The Justice Department said in a statement that given that Kotey agreed to life imprisonment without parole, if the sentence he serves in the U.K. is less than life for any reason, Kotey agreed “to be transferred back to the United States to serve the remainder of his sentence.”
Read more at NEWSMAX.
{Matzav.com}
Oh wow… it’s good he agreed! Can you imagine if he wouldn’t have agreed. Of course we need to do what’s best for him and worry about his well being. Very important.