Wednesday, February 18, 2009
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Police have captured a Burlington man who fled Vermont the day before a jury convicted him earlier this month of sexually assaulting a 9-year-old girl.A warrant for the arrest of Ali Abdi, 34, was issued after he jumped bail Feb. 4, the third day of his trial in Vermont District Court in Burlington. An investigation led by the U.S. Marshals Service tracked Abdi to Ann Arbor, Mich., where authorities with the Detroit Fugitive Apprehension Team arrested the convict Friday, authorities said Monday in a news release
An extradition hearing is scheduled for Thursday in Michigan.
In Vermont, Abdi will face up to life in prison and a mandatory minimum of 10 years on his conviction for aggravated sexual assault on a child younger than 10. The verdict against Abdi, a Somali Bantu refugee, also carries the possibility of deportation.
He also could be charged with failure to appear, a misdemeanor carrying a possible two-year prison sentence, Chittenden County State’s Attorney T.J. Donovan said Monday.
Abdi had posted $25,000 bail and was free during the trial. He now risks losing the money; a bail-forfeiture hearing is scheduled for Feb. 27.
Source: Burlington Free Press, Feb 18, 2009