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U.S. Department of Justice PRESS RELEASE FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
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Washington, D.C. - Khaled Mohamed Shabban, a 41-year-old man from Alexandria, Egypt, has been found guilty of International Parental Kidnapping, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1204, U.S. Attorney Jeffrey A. Taylor announced today. Shabban was found guilty of the charge earlier today by a federal jury in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. Shabban faces a maximum penalty of three years in prison when he is sentenced by the Honorable Thomas F. Hogan on October 5, 2007.
According to the evidence introduced at trial, on November 21, 2004, the defendant took his then three-year old son to Egypt in violation of a custody order issued by the D.C. Superior Court that gave primary physical custody of the child to the mother. The defendant remained in Egypt with the child for 22 months. He was arrested at JFK International Airport in New York immediately upon his return to the United States on September 25, 2006, after which the child was reunited with his mother.
In announcing the jury’s verdict, U.S. Attorney Jeffrey A. Taylor commended the outstanding work and extraordinary dedication of FBI Special Agent Shane Dana, whose tireless and thorough investigation made this successful prosecution possible. He also commended the numerous FBI agents who assisted in this investigation, particularly Lisa Hill for her assistance during critical stages of the investigation and trial, and FBI Cairo Assistant Legal Attaches Scott Umphlet and Nael Sabha, for their invaluable assistance throughout the lengthy investigation. He also commended MPD Detective Willie Randolph and Officers Brian Bradley and Anna Mercado, for their work during the initial investigation, and he thanked ICE Agents Lloyd Temple and Jason Manyx; Vincent Beirne, Rachel Peterson, and Brian Hunt of the Consular Affairs branch of the U.S. Department of State; and David Warner of the Office of International Affairs for their cooperation during critical stages of the investigation and prosecution. Finally, he thanked law student Rachel Frankel for her invaluable assistance during the motions hearing, USAO Investigator Duncan Templeton, Paralegal Specialist Barbara Necastro and at trial, Victim Witness Advocate Yvonne Bryant for her assistance to the mother, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Angela Schmidt, who prosecuted the case.
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