Somali Pirate Sentenced to Life in Prison for Attack on U.S. Navy Ship

The burned out hull of a suspected pirate skiff drifts near the amphibious dock landing ship USS Ashland (LSD 48), following the April 10, 2010 attack in the Gulf of Aden. U.S. Navy Photo

A U.S. federal judge has sentenced a Somali man to life plus 10 years in prison for his role in the unsuccessful pirate attack on the the U.S. Navy ship USS Ashland in April 2010.

Mohamed Farah, 31, was one of five Somali men found guilty by a federal jury in February 2013 of engaging in piracy and committing other offenses pertaining to the attack on the Ashland.

According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Farah and five co-conspirators attacked the USS Ashland on April 10, 2010 in the Gulf of Aden. Four of Farah’s co-conspirators were previously sentenced for their roles in the attack: Jama Idle Ibrahim (15 years in prison), Mohamed Ali Said (33 years), Mohamed Abdi Jama (life plus 30 years) and Abdicasiis Cabaase (life plus 30 years). The defendants had also previously gone to sea in February 2010 with the purpose of capturing another vessel for ransom, but read more >>