EVENT: Sentencing

Defendant: Ahmad Musa Jebril

DEARBORN RESIDENT SENTENCED TO 77 MONTHS FOR ATTEMPTING TO BRIBE A JUROR IN A FEDERAL TRIAL

Ahmad Musa Jebril, age 36, was sentenced today to serve 77 months in custody, to be followed by 2 years supervised release, for conduct arising out of his unsuccessful efforts to bribe a juror during his federal trial in November 2004. Thirty months of the sentence imposed today will run consecutive to the 70-month sentence that was imposed following his earlier conviction, for a total period of incarceration of 100 months.

The announcement was made today by United States Attorney Stephen J. Murphy, joined by William J. Kowalski, Acting Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation. The Honorable Gerald E. Rosen imposed the sentence on Ahmad Jebril, and will also sentence Jebril’s co-defendants, Musa Fawzi Odeh and Radwan Almadrahi, in the coming weeks.

“The sentence imposed upon Ahmad Jebril today is appropriately severe,” Mr. Murphy said. “The American system of justice depends wholly on the integrity of the individuals who serve on juries. Efforts to compromise the jury process are extremely serious and cannot be tolerated. Juror Nine should be commended for immediately coming forward to the court and thwarting the defendants’ brazen attempt to corrupt the jury system.”

According to the information presented to the court at the time of the pleas, in November 2004, Ahmad Jebril and his father, Musa Jebril, were on trial before Judge Rosen on a 42-count indictment charging them with conspiracy, bank fraud, mail fraud, wire fraud, Social Security fraud, money laundering, failure to file income tax returns, and being felons in possession of firearms and ammunition. During jury selection in that case, the Jebrils targeted the female juror seated as Juror Nine, and recruited Musa Odeh, Radwan Almadrahi and others to approach her at her place of business and attempt to persuade her to find the Jebrils not guilty. Almadrahi and Odeh did locate Juror Nine; they spoke with her fiancé and offered to pay for their wedding and buy them a house if she could cause the jury to acquit the Jebrils.

Instead, Juror Nine immediately came forward to Judge Rosen and reported the unlawful conduct. Judge Rosen excused her from jury service; the remaining jurors were told only that Juror Nine had been released from jury duty for personal reasons. The trial proceeded to its conclusion, and Ahmad Jebril and Musa Jebril were convicted of all 42 counts.

The results of the FBI investigation of the attempts to bribe the juror were presented to a federal grand jury, and indictments were returned in February 2006. The three defendants pleaded guilty in December 2006.