“Criminal Foreigner” and “Terrorist Suspect” Homaidan Al-Turki has been arrested by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials in Colorado. This follows his earlier release from Arapahoe County Jail on Tuesday, where he was serving time for repeatedly abusing his housekeeper. He’s now being sent to Saudi Arabia.
Back in 2006, Al-Turki was convicted on multiple charges including misdemeanor false imprisonment, conspiracy to false imprisonment, several counts of felony unlawful sexual contact, extortion, and theft exceeding $15,000. His sentence was set for six years within the Colorado Department of Corrections.
Al-Turki first became eligible for parole in 2011, but his failure to engage in the required sex offender treatment program stalled his release and deportation.
During his incarceration, he filed several claims, including a recent assertion that he wasn’t adequately represented by his defense during the trial. District Judge Eric White noted potential miscommunication between Al-Turki and his lawyer regarding court instructions. Specifically, if it’s found that Al-Turki exerted force or intimidation, the misdemeanor could convert into a felony.
His former lawyer described the unlawful sexual contact charge as a misdemeanor with a possible maximum of two years in prison. However, the court elevated this to a Class 4 felony due to the nature of the violations—being carried out with physical force and violence.
Al-Turki, now 56, initially pleaded guilty. The Colorado courts imposed concurrent six-year terms for his offenses.
The sentencing also took into account the nearly 19 years he has spent in prison already. ICE took him into custody on Tuesday and is now working to enforce his deportation order back to Saudi Arabia.
Attorney Ryan Brackley expressed that after reviewing the case, they chose to uphold the conviction for the felony sex offenses, considering the challenges of retrying a case that dates back almost two decades. Brackley emphasized the importance of keeping Al-Turki—identified as a convicted sex felon—out of the community while recognizing the resources necessary to manage the case.
ICE officials remarked that Al-Turki first entered the United States in 1992 but left in 1993. He was also questioned in relation to the 9/11 attacks in 2001, subsequently departing again before legally re-entering in 2002. After his conviction in 2006, an order for removal was established, and an ICE official asserted that he won’t be returning to the US again.
