Alleged anti-Muslim filmmaker taken to 'voluntary' talk with feds

[Cleita]

The filmmaker allegedly behind the controversial "Innocence of Muslims" movie that has sparked a violent worldwide backlash was taken early Saturday morning to a "voluntary interview" with federal probation authorities, sheriff's officials said.

Los Angeles County sheriff's spokesman Steve Whitmore said deputies picked up Nakoula Basseley Nakoula at his Cerritos home on behalf of federal probation officials. He has not been arrested or detained, Whitmore said.

Nakoula was whisked away by a waiting car about 12:25 a.m. Saturday, shrouded in a hat and white scarf covering his face. He wore a heavy winter coat and kept his hands in his pocket.

More at: http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2012/09/alleged-anti-muslim-innocence-muslims-interview.html

Do you think im-Bacile might be getting a one way ticket to Gitmo?

[Strelnikov_]

1. No, but at this moment he is probably being violated

As in charged with parole violation.

Dude better have someone drop a suitcase o cash on the AB or MM before he hits genpop.

[Cleita]

2. The parole violation I believe is local. It would be odd to involve the Feds

for just a parole violation.

[Strelnikov_]

5. Think he is on parole for Federal fraud conviction. n/t

[DonViejo]

15. Exactly!

It was a Federal Court.

[jsr]

3. Hard to tell

It's possible nothing bad will happen to him if the judge decides he didn't violate parole.

And he might play the martyr card and demand 24/7 police protection at taxpayer expense so he can make more movies.

[Cleita]

7. There's no doubt he's a con artist and could possibly pull

this off. But the Feds are involved, so it makes me believe he isn't going to be released soon, even if they have to coerce a "voluntary" confession out of him.

[jsr]

11. He's already out

He came in voluntarily for a chat and didn't stay long. Authorities said he was very cooperative.

[Life Long Dem]

31. What could they do anyway?

Google won't even pull the video from Youtube.

[Strelnikov_]

13. Based on the following paragraph

On Friday, U.S. courts spokeswoman Karen Redmond said the Office of Probation in the Central District of California is reviewing whether Nakoula, who was convicted on bank fraud charges, violated terms of his probation in relation to the video and its uploading onto the Internet.

He had been ordered not to own or use devices with access to the Internet without approval from his probation officer -– and any approved computers were to be used for work only. "Defendant shall not access a computer for any other purpose," the terms read.

Restrictions were also placed on his enlisting others to access the Internet for him.

I would say he is about to be violated.

[jsr]

21. It sure looks like it

But then, this guy is a con man who knows how to play the system to his advantage.

[Zalatix]

4. A one-way ticket to Gitmo for producing a film. Bets that he won't even be charged with any crime?

[Cleita]

10. The Feds involved make me wonder that more is afoot than

just a parole violation.

[Zalatix]

22. I want to know what constituted a parole violation...?

[pinboy3niner]

25. From the story linked in the OP:

He had been ordered not to own or use devices with access to the Internet without approval from his probation officer -– and any approved computers were to be used for work only. "Defendant shall not access a computer for any other purpose," the terms read.

Restrictions were also placed on his enlisting others to access the Internet for him.

[whistler162]

6. If he is an Egyptian

deport him!

[Cleita]

8. That could happen.n/t

[jsr]

16. He is a naturalized citizen

It looks like his crimes were committed after he received his American citizenship, which is why there is very little talk of deportation.

[Cleita]

20. You can still be stripped of your citizenship and deported if you are a naturalized citizen.

It has to be a very bad crime of treason of course. If a court can prove that this rises to that, then it's possible.

[jsr]

24. Maybe they should look at his immigration files

I know lying on your application is a huge no-no when it comes to naturalization.

[pinboy3niner]

9. He was questioned and released

Meanwhile, his compliance with probation is being reviewed:

On Friday, U.S. courts spokeswoman Karen Redmond said the Office of Probation in the Central District of California is reviewing whether Nakoula, who was convicted on bank fraud charges, violated terms of his probation in relation to the video and its uploading onto the Internet.

[Cleita]

12. That's too bad.

But I don't think he will be free for very long if the authorities are keeping this on a back burner. Just for the sake of thoroughness would you put a link up for your quote?

[pinboy3niner]

18. The excerpt is from the OP link

He also has a criminal defense attorney to work specifically on his terms of release (probation) issues. CBS 2 L.A. has text and video reports on that.

[cthulu2016]

14. Are you suggesting he should be in Gitmo?

[Cleita]

17. More so than many of those who are in Gitmo for eternity

or who have died in custody without even having charges made against them. Although I would consider it a bad idea considering he is a Christian who obviously hates Muslims to be put in with mostly Muslim prisoners.

[cthulu2016]

28. It is sad to live in a world with people such as yourself

[nadinbrzezinski]

19. Federal fraud conviction

Use of computers and the net forbidden in terms of release.

[Cleita]

23. I stand corrected.

I really hope they find a reason to throw his ass in jail. Then our State Department can tell all those protesters across the world that we feel their pain and we have the culprit in custody to answer to justice.

[nadinbrzezinski]

27. That could set a dangerous precedent

though if he violated terms of release, they should throw him in jail.

I get the limits to the not to be spoken any longer term du jour, but the reality is that for people living in a place where movies are indeed approved by the state it will confirm that we have them vetted in DC.

[Cleita]

30. I meant post #29 for you. n/t

[Cleita]

29. I don't see anyone saying the movie can't be shown or made.

I'm saying this man's agenda goes beyond making a crappy movie. If he can be proved to have committed a crime in the intent of producing this movie, it could be a big help in keeping Americans more safe abroad.

[Cleita]

26. More from "The Wall Street Journal"

It seems he was under house arrest already if I'm reading this right.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10000872396390444517304577653394041764330.html?mod=googlenews_wsj

Federal authorities have identified Mr. Nakoula, a self-described Coptic Christian, as the key figure behind a video denigrating Islam and the Prophet Muhammad that ignited mob violence against U.S. embassies across the Middle East. A federal law enforcement officials said Thursday that authorities had connected Mr. Nakoula to a man using the pseudonym of Sam Bacile who claimed earlier to be writer and director of the film.

Violent protests set off by the film in Libya played a role in mob attacks in Benghazi that killed U.S. Ambassador Chris Stevens and three other American officials. U.S. Embassy gates in Cairo were breached by protesters and demonstrations against American missions spread to Yemen on Thursday and on Friday to several other countries.

Mr. Nakoula pleaded no contest in 2010 to federal bank fraud charges in California and was ordered to pay more than $790,000 in restitution. He was also sentenced to 21 months in federal prison and was ordered not to use computers or the Internet for five years without approval from his probation officer.

His attorney cited Mr. Nakoula's poor health in a bid for leniency and home detention, stating his client suffered from hepatitis C, diabetes that require twice-daily insulin shots, and other ailments that required more than 10 medications a day, according to a transcript of the sentencing obtained by the AP.

[bluestateguy]

32. Is there anything they can do him other than a good firm talking to?

Proving incitement to riot is very hard to do, especially when the rioters are in a foreign country.

[ck4829]

33. This has nothing to do with inciting riots

He was given a slap on the wrist for his previous frauds as long as he did not use computers or the Internet

[Cleita]

34. He did get Americans killed.

This is beyond rioting.

[ProgressiveProfessor]

35. No he did not

Its seems clear at this point that the attack in Benghazi was preplanned for 9/11

That does not mean he should not be shamed and shunned

[Cleita]

36. I wasn't talking about Benghazi.

American soldiers have been killed in Afghanistan and other people have been killed around the world because of these riots. Just because they aren't Americans doesn't make their lives any less important.

http://www.aljazeera.com/news/asia/2012/09/2012914221750984356.html

[ProgressiveProfessor]

37. You still do not have exclusive cause and effect

The attack on the base has also been attributed to the presence of the Prince Harry.

Primary blame clearly lies with those doing the violence. They alone are in control of their behavior. To assert that an outside provocation was overwhelming is to make them less than fully human.

[Cleita]

38. The article specifically states that the Taliban said it was because of the movie

and yes, they also wanted to target Prince Harry. The fact is that the movie is giving these nut jobs an excuse.