Man Tied to Anti-Islam Video Held on Probation Charge
The man, Nakoula Basseley Nakoula, 55, was ordered held without bond during an appearance in United States District Court here Thursday evening. Suzanne H. Segal, a federal magistrate judge, called Mr. Nakoula “a flight risk and a danger to the community.” He will remain in jail until a probation-revocation hearing is scheduled.
Mr. Nakoula is widely considered to be the filmmaker responsible for “Innocence of Muslims,” an inflammatory, amateurish video that is supposedly a trailer for a full-length film.
The video depicts the Prophet Muhammad as a buffoon, a womanizer and a child molester. It was first uploaded to YouTube in June, and translated into Arabic and uploaded several more times leading up to the 11th anniversary of the terrorism attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.
Mr. Nakoula was charged with eight probation violations, including lying to law-enforcement officers when they initially detained him for questioning, and using various aliases, which an assistant United States attorney, Robert Dugdale, said was “part of a lengthy pattern of deception.”
Federal officials have been investigating whether Mr. Nakoula was the person who posted the video on YouTube using the pseudonym Sam Bacile, a name he used during the making of the movie, according to actors and crew members. If he did post the video, he would have violated the terms of his sentencing in a conviction in a 2010 check-kiting case, which restricted his use of the Internet.
Mr. Nakoula served about a year of a 21-month prison term for orchestrating a check-kiting scheme against Wells Fargo Bank, court records show.
As part of his sentence, Mr. Nakoula was ordered to pay restitution of $794,700.
The bank fraud scheme included a twist that is probably pertinent to the current investigation: he committed the crime using a variety of aliases.
On Sept. 15, federal probation officers took Mr. Nakoula to a Los Angeles County sheriff’s station in the suburb of Cerritos, where he lives, for questioning. He wore a hat and had a white shawl around his face. He was not arrested at that time.
Mr. Nakoula has not spoken publicly since the trailer, parts of which were broadcast on Egyptian television, first set off a wave of rioting and attacks that led to the death of four Americans in Libya, including the ambassador.
On Saturday, a Pakistani cabinet minister offered a $100,000 reward for the death of the person behind the video, with the incendiary statement coming a day after violent protests paralyzed Pakistan’s largest cities, leaving at least 23 people dead.
Mr. Nakoula’s lawyer, Steve Seiden, had argued unsuccessfully that it was a dangerous for his client to be in jail where there are, presumably, Muslim inmates. “My client’s safety has been an issue for weeks,” he said.
By BROOKS BARNES
Published: September 27, 2012
- SUMMARY : Nakoula Basseley Nakoula was charged with eight probation violations, including lying to law-enforcement officers after he set off an anti-Islam video which has triggered anger across the Muslim world. Deadly protests and riots had happened and many life have been sacrificed. Despite the chaotic situation Mr. Nakoula has caused, his lawyer, Steve Seiden insisted that his client will be in great danger by putting him behind bar as there are Muslim inmates. However, Steve had argue unsuccessfully.
- OPINION : It was an appropriate decision made by the court. No one should be pardoned for his/her wrongdoings. Nakoula Basseley Nakoula has caused such a deadly situation by sabotaging other religion which has caused riots and protests across the Muslim world and consequently caused many death. He should be punished for what he has done so that the public will obey the law.
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