Plea bargain rejected in molestation case against Nuwaubian leader

The Associated Press, June 27, 2003
http://www.accessnorthga.com/

Defense attorneys for the former leader of the United Nuwaubian Nation of Moors say a federal judges rejection of a plea bargain in a child molestation case against him raises new legal issues.

Everybody knows hes pleaded guilty, said attorney Manny Arora, who represents Malachi York, after U.S. District Judge Hugh Lawsons ruling was made public Thursday. So its going to be hard for him to get a fair trial.

Lawson set a hearing on the case for Monday in Macon. Arora said York will be asked to announce his decision on whether to withdraw his guilty plea.

York, 58, was the leader of the quasi-religious group based on a 400-acre farm in Putnam County. The group began as an Islamic sect in the early 1970s in Brooklyn, N.Y. When York and his followers moved to Putnam County 10 years ago, the group claimed York was an extraterrestrial.

On Jan. 23, he pleaded guilty in federal court to one count of transporting children across state lines for the purpose of illegal sex and to one count of illegally structuring cash transactions.

The next day, he pleaded guilty in state court in Putnam County to 77 counts related to child molestation.

As part of the plea bargain, state and federal prosecutors agreed to recommend that York be given a prison sentence that would make him eligible for parole in approximately 12 years.

Arora said Yorks deal with state prosecutors remains in place, as far as he is concerned. If York decides to go to trial, that would cause problems for both sides, in part because it would be difficult to assemble witnesses.

Read Another Article

A trap for Muslim women in Europe
Police whisk away cult ‘leader’

Related News Articles Topic(s): Nuwaubians Subscribe to Religion News Blog updates Subscribe to Religion News Blog [What is this?] Get Religion News Blog's headline by Email [What is this?] Follow Religion News Blog at Twitter Find Related Information Use our custom search engines to find additional research resources on religions and cults: ApologeticsSearch.com: Search for apologetics articles, books, videos, and other research resources across 135 Christian apologetics websites and blogs. CounterCultSearch.com: Search for information about (religious) cults, cult-like organizations, and cults experts -- as well as paranormal-, New Age, and pseudoscientific claims -- across 260+ websites, blogs and forums dedicated to cult research, spiritual abuse, ex-cult counseling & support. Find Related Religion & Spirituality Books at Amazon.com Nuwaubians Possibly related... or Most Popular Religion News Articles Kent Hovind: Evangelist arrested on federal charges Beast’s real mark devalued to ’616′ Muslim Woman Gives Sex Advice on Arab TV Michael Jackson Confirms Conversion to Islam Kent Hovind, ‘Dr. Dino,’ guilty on all counts The fall and rise of Carlton Pearson Search False prophet Harold Camping sets another date for rapture: May 21, 2011 Watch the film Theo van Gogh was murdered for Kent Hovind — Dr. Dino — sentenced to 10 years in prison

Search Religion News Blog