Feds Want Somali Pirate To Get 34 Years

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One of the pirates who took ship Captain Richard Philips of Underhill hostage in 2009 may go to jail for nearly 34 years.

Federal prosecutors have asked a judge in New York City to sentence Somali pirate Abdiwali Abdigadir Muse to nearly 34 years in prison for the attack on the Maersk Alabama.

In a court filing, prosecutors say he led attacks on ships in the Indian Ocean for more than a month in 2009. They say he threatened to chop up one man and terrorized others at gunpoint.

He and other pirates held captain Phillips hostage for days before Navy sharpshooters killed his accomplices.

Muse’s lawyers have asked the judge to be lenient. They say he never intended to hurt anyone.

Sentencing is scheduled for next week.

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