CENTRAL ISLIP, N.Y. – A forensic psychologist says a suburban New York man who admitted trying to join an al-Qaida affiliate understood the consequences of his actions.
Dr. N.G. Berrill testified Tuesday at a presentencing hearing in the case of Justin Kaliebe (kah-LEE'-bee). The Long Island man pleaded guilty to federal charges in January 2013 of attempting to provide material support to a terrorist organization.
Kaliebe's attorney insists he was a mixed-up teenager who was diagnosed with a form of autism and didn't understand the gravity of what he was doing.
The attorney questioned Berrill on his findings. The psychologist conceded he never interviewed Kaliebe's family members or other psychologists who had treated him.
The 21-year-old Kaliebe faces up to 30 years in prison when he is sentenced this year.
The hottest stories ripped from the headlines, from crime to courts, legal and scandal.
