Anchorage Man Sentenced to 40 Years in Federal Prison for Sex Crimes Against Other Prisoners in Anchorage Jail

ANCHORAGE—Acting United States Attorney Kevin Feldis announced that an Anchorage man was sentenced in federal court in Anchorage to 480 months in prison for aggravated sexual abuse and abusive sexual contact against three Alaska Native victims. The victims were inmates at the Anchorage Correctional Center with the defendant, who was incarcerated there as a federal prisoner.

On September 15, 2011, Sabil Mujahid, also known as “Oran Lee Smith” and “Terry Smith,” 54, of Anchorage, Alaska, was sentenced by Senior United States District Judge H. Russel Holland. Mujahid was also placed on lifetime supervised release following his imprisonment. The sentence will run consecutively to the 10-year sentence he received last year for being a felon in possession of a firearm.

Mujahid was convicted by a federal jury on June 29, 2011, after an eight day trial. He was sentenced today for convictions on four counts of aggravated sexual abuse and on three counts of abusive sexual contact. Judge Holland affirmed the jury’s verdicts that Mujahid used force against three victims, causing them to engage in sexual acts and that he used force and placed the victims in fear to cause them to engage in sexual contact.

During sentencing, Judge Holland described Mujahid’s violent and abusive crimes as, “They’re bluntly, as bad as I have ever seen [in my 27 years on the bench].” Judge Holland noted that Mujahid planned his crimes carefully, identifying and targeting his victims in advance. Judge Holland observed that during trial, the victims were so anguished, so ashamed, and so fearful, they could barely speak and identify Mujahid as their abuser. Speaking of Mujahid’s prior criminal history (including attempted murder, two federal convictions as a felon in possession of a firearm, reckless driving, possession of cocaine, and assault 4), Judge Holland stated that “Mujahid demonstrated repeatedly his lack of respect for even maximum sentences,” noting that Mujahid was seldom at liberty for more than a month or so, and was not deterred from committing crimes by the imposition of maximum sentences.

U.S. Attorney Karen Loeffler said, “Mujahid’s opportunities for predation on the vulnerable has been significantly curtailed by Judge Holland’s carefully crafted sentence. If the Bureau of Prisons follows his recommendations that Mujahid not be housed with or near vulnerable persons, and the Bureau of Prisons is highly likely to accept those recommendations, Mujahid will not have access to others on whom he can inflict terror or harm.”

Assistant United States Attorney Audrey J. Renschen said, “The courage these victims showed during their testimony was both exemplary and responsible. Their contribution to protecting the public is an enormous one. I hope the lengthy sentence will help diminish the pain and fear they’ve experienced. I have the utmost respect for these men who testified at trial and at grand jury, and I trust that this 40-year sentence, consecutive to Mujahid’s 10-year sentence, will help the victims recover from his attacks and assist the victims to regain their dignity and self-respect. They certainly deserve our community’s gratitude.”

The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Audrey Renschen and Daniel R. Cooper, Jr., of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Anchorage. The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the United States Marshals Service, detectives of the Anchorage Police Department, the Alaska State Troopers, and the Alaska Department of Corrections.