Barber shop owner flees U.S.

SeattlePI reported Ruben Shumpert, who federal agents allege made his Rainier Valley barber shop a kind of "anti-American training ground for Muslims" where children were taught "how to shoot and fight the Americans," has telephoned the FBI to say he won't be going to prison anytime soon.

They were idiots for not taking his passport, but why did he call to tell them where he was?

Shumpert, who faces sentencing on federal counterfeiting and weapons charges, has fled to Somalia.

I suspect he will find living as a free man in Somalia to be less comfortable than living in a federal prison here in the USA.

A warrant has been issued for the arrest of Shumpert, who is also known as Amir Abdul Muhaimin, Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Redkey said. He was to be sentenced Tuesday. Shumpert -- an African American convert to Islam -- was among more than a dozen, mostly African immigrants from Islamic countries arrested by the FBI's Joint Terrorism Task Force two years ago on a mix of charges, including immigration fraud and bank fraud. Shumpert was never charged with any terrorism crimes, but court documents paint a picture of his barber shop at 7821 Rainier Ave. S. as a gathering place for adherents of radical Islam where he showed children videotapes of "fighting, shooting and killing with images on Shumpert's computer screen of al-Qaida and the Taliban." Shumpert had been free on personal recognizance

You mean he did not even have to put up his barber shop?

and was facing sentencing under a plea agreement when he fled the country, Redkey said. Shumpert called an FBI agent on the Joint Terrorism Task Force from Somalia, Redkey said. But he noted that the United States has no extradition treaty with Somalia. Somalia is considered a fertile breeding ground for radical Islamic terrorists by U.S. intelligence agencies. Redkey said Shumpert also likely is to be charged with failing to appear for his sentencing hearing, a separate felony.

Charge him whatever you want. You let him escape to Somalia.

A condition of Shumpert's release before sentencing was that he surrender his passport, said Redkey, who noted that in recent years, it has become more common for judges to allow defendants to turn in their passports after they are released from custody. Shumpert never surrendered his passport, Redkey said. Redkey said the U.S. Attorney's Office is reviewing the practice of allowing people out of custody before they surrender their passport.

Gee, you think that might be a good idea???

Riehl blogged They allow this guy to roam free on his own recognizance? No wonder he ends up in Somalia doing who knows what. And he knows America, so he'd be perfect for helping others there understand the ropes of navigating in the US without detection. Idiots. There's no other word for it. The court and the prosecutors involved with this are idiots. And they should be fired or impeached as appropriate.

LGF blogged Wow. Talk about flying under the media radar. Here’s a story that’s only bubbling up to the surface now because the would-be jihadi in question fled to Somalia—after being released on “personal recognizance”—and called the FBI to brag. Another success story for the FBI. But they apparently have plenty of resources to hassle bloggers when CAIR complains.

Robert Spencer blogged I hope the people who met Shumpert at his barber shop are being watched closely. And did he ever attend any area mosque? What is taught there? What did they think of Shumpert? Of course, if approached now they will say they always abhorred him, but did they contact authorities about his jihadist tendencies?