Federal magistrate judge detains five adults in Taos compound case

The Albuquerque Journal ^ | September 12, 2018 | Ryan Boetel

[CedarDave]

SANTA FE, N.M. — A federal magistrate judge Wednesday in Albuquerque ordered that all five adults found living on a makeshift Taos compound with 11 malnourished children be detained.

Jany Leveille, 35, a Haitian national, is charged with unlawfully possessing firearms and ammunition as an alien living illegally in the U.S. The other four — Siraj Ibn Wahhaj, 40, Hujrah Wahhaj, 37, Subhanah Wahhaj, 35, and Lucas Morton, 40 — are charged with conspiring to provide her with the weaponry.

The group was arrested last month on suspicion of child abuse charges after Taos County sheriff’s deputies raided a compound where the group was living and found 11 malnourished children a dead 3-year-old boy, Abdul-Ghani Wahhaj.

The FBI arrested the group on suspicion of the federal firearms charges after state charges were dismissed. Leveille and Siraj Ibn Wahhaj had faced state charges of child abuse resulting in death for allegedly withhold medication from the boy, who suffered seizures before his death months before the compound was raided Aug. 3.

[CedarDave]

State charges were dismissed due to the prosecution not filing for a preliminary hearing within the required time period. The state is planning to refile the charges.

[CedarDave]

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[Vince Ferrer]

Good to see the FBI doing something to protect citizens for a change.

[Notthereyet]

How in the world did the prosecution not file its paperwork in time?? Glad a Fed Judge did something.

[matthew fuller]

I think that Ulises Valladares might dispute that, if he could...

https://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/houston-texas/houston/article/FBI-agent-sued-in-death-of-Houston-kidnap-hostage-13218708.php

[KosmicKitty]

Maybe to give the case to the Feds? Possible?

[Notthereyet]

Need to admit, KosmicKitty, that thought did not cross my mind. Might have been an excellent play of law. Thank you, for the thought!

[pepsionice]

Not that you can see any evidence yet, but maybe some folks came to see a bigger picture and ‘more fish to fry’. Here’s the curious thing....who funded these dimwits? I would imagine that a few decent FBI guys still exist and looked at the situation from a different perspective. Federal charges often means more hassle for a defense attorney to get his folks off the hook.

I’ve yet to hear how these folks paid their bills. I think there’s some charity operation in the background, with funding that leads back to some Saudi prince. If you get to the end of the mess, and a name....then Trump could go to the King and drop another ‘hint’.

Also, who says that the Taos compound is the only compound like this in the US?

[Notthereyet]

I don’t think it’s the only compound like it in this country. The point of payments for bills is an excellent starting point. Also, why was the FBI monitoring this compound for so long without stepping in? I choose to think they might have saved the life of the little boy had they stepped in much earlier. From what I’ve read in earlier articles, there were people making complaints to the FBI.

[KosmicKitty]

My job here tonight is done :-)

Always go with the federal prosecution. Alawys more severe with greater penalties.

[Governor Dinwiddie]

First time I've heard mention that it was at Taos. I thought Taos was the land of hippy love and peace?
 

[ALX]

One of the women had a decent online following before this. They were squatters basicaly starving it seems. This wasn’t even Koresh tier.

[AlaskaErik]

Maybe to give the case to the Feds? Possible?

That's not how it works. NM just screwed it up totally. Normal procedure is for the state to possibly decline prosecution if the feds file charges. But this is done after the feds have filed their charges. Otherwise, the perps go free and could disappear. I've also seen cases where the state and the feds both prosecute. In that case, the perp does time on both the state and federal cases, usually consecutively. That's assuming, of course, that he's convicted in both state and federal court. A good example is the state prosecutes for robbery and the feds prosecute for felon in possession of a firearm. Two different charges, so no double jeopardy. But in this case, the NM judicial system just screwed up royally.

[DaveA37]

“How in the world did the prosecution not file its paperwork in time??”...…….

Perhaps he too was working with the FBI in the failed attempt to oust Trump. Good to see things are now getting back to what they, the prosecution and FBI were hired to do.