Five defendants involved in a chilling case of abduction and conspiracy have been handed down severe sentences by a federal judge in New Mexico.
Jany Leveille, Siraj Ibn Wahhaj, his sisters Hujrah Wahhaj and Subhanah Wahhaj, and Subhanah’s husband, Lucas Morton, faced sentencing today. Siraj, Hujrah, Subhanah, and Morton received life imprisonment without the possibility of parole. Leveille, under a plea agreement, was sentenced to 15 years in prison, after which she will face removal proceedings.
The convictions stem from a trial that concluded on Oct. 17, 2023. Siraj Wahhaj and Lucas Morton were found guilty of conspiracy to provide material support to terrorists, providing material support to terrorists, and conspiracy to murder a federal officer. Hujrah and Subhanah Wahhaj, along with Morton, were convicted of conspiracy to commit kidnapping resulting in death and kidnapping resulting in death. Leveille had pleaded guilty earlier to charges of conspiracy to provide material support to terrorists and possession of a firearm while unlawfully in the United States.
The disturbing saga traces back to December 2017 when the group, led by Leveille, abducted Siraj Wahhaj’s three-year-old son from Georgia and brought him to a remote property in Amalia, New Mexico. Their intention was to utilize the child in a sinister plot aimed at eliminating perceived corrupt institutions and individuals who did not comply with their beliefs.
Tragically, the child, Abdul Ghani, passed away at the compound. However, Leveille propagated a belief among the group that the child would resurrect, leading to escalated firearms and tactical training in anticipation of this event. Law enforcement intervened on Aug. 3, 2018, executing warrants on the fortified compound without incident. The subsequent search uncovered Abdul Ghani's remains in an underground tunnel.
The FBI Albuquerque Field Office, with support from various agencies, conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kimberly Brawley and Tavo Hall prosecuted the case, aided by Trial Attorneys Jessica Joyce and George Kraehe from the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section.
