MINNEAPOLIS – A former Minnesota woman who lied to a grand jury about raising money for men who left the state to join a terrorist group in Somalia was sentenced Wednesday to three years of probation and ordered to perform community service.
Saynab Hussein, 24, of Nashville, showed remorse during Wednesday’s sentencing hearing in U.S. District Court in Minneapolis. She pleaded guilty last August to one count of perjury in connection with the government’s long-running investigation into recruiting and financing for al-Shabab, a terrorist group with links to al-Qaida.
“I wish I could go back and change it all if I could,” Hussein told U.S. District Judge Michael Davis.
As part of her sentence, Davis ordered Hussein to perform 100 hours of community service each year she’s on probation – educating the Somali community about the threat of terrorism and the U.S. government’s role in helping stabilize the community.
“This is extremely important,” Davis said of the community service. He said he took many factors into consideration for her sentence, including the fact that she was 18 at the time and likely didn’t understand the consequences of her crime, and that she has provided substantial assistance to authorities.