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Brandt Williams
Minneapolis

Minn. man pleads guilty in case of missing men

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A Minnesota man pleaded guilty to obstructing justice in federal court on Tuesday. The man, an American citizen of Somali descent, admitted that he mislead FBI agents investigating the disappearance of local Somali men.

Abdow M. Abdow, 26, is facing 10 to 16 months in jail. However, he could have faced many more years in prison if he hadn't made a deal with the government.

In the agreement, Abdow admits he lied to FBI agents last year when they asked him about his involvement with a group of Somali men travelling in a rented car to California.

At first, Abdow told the FBI he didn't know who rented the car, and he didn't know who the men were. FBI agents then informed Abdow that it was a crime to lie to the feds. At that point, they say Abdow partially retracted his previous statements. They say Abdow admitted that his debit card was used to rent the car.

Abdow's attorney, Earl Gray says Abdow was "duped" by the men in the car. Gray says, the men told Abdow they were travelling to California to attend a wedding.

Abdow's sentencing has not been scheduled. Until then, Judge James Rosenbaum ordered Abdow's monitoring bracelet removed. Before he granted permission for the removal, Rosenbaum asked Abdow why he should do so.

Abdow told the judge that he'd been wearing the bracelet for six months and hadn't violated the terms of his release. Plus, Abdow said he wanted to be able to play with his kids outdoors without having the bracelet on.

Rosenbaum then asked Abdow to give him his word that he will continue to stay out of trouble. And Rosenbaum told Abdow that he can't leave the state without notifying the court.