Today, federal jurors convicted Charles "Chuckie" Taylor Jr., the son of former Liberian President Charles Taylor, on torture and conspiracy charges. Taylor was found guilty on one count of torture, one count of conspiracy to commit torture and one count of possession of a firearm during the commission of a violent crime. The case, tried in Miami, Florida, was the first brought under a 1994 United States law permitting U.S. citizens accused of committing torturous acts overseas to be tried in a U.S. federal court. In 2006, after Taylor was arrested in Miami on passport fraud, Rep. Ed Royce (R-CA), encouraged the Department of Justice to take such action.
"The Justice Department took on a groundbreaking case and won. Today's guilty verdict sends a powerful message about the long arm of U.S. law. Those in West Africa can take solace that Chuckie will be behind bars," commented Royce.
As head of the "Anti-Terrorist Unit," an elite security force created by President Charles Taylor, "Chuckie" was involved in heinous acts; including torture, violent assaults, killings, rape, the recruitment of child soldiers and even burning civilians alive. The judge in the case set sentencing for January 9, 2009.
Chuckie's father, the former president of Liberia, is currently on trial before the Special Court for Sierra Leone on charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity for overseeing the murder, rape and mutilation of thousands of people during neighboring Sierra Leone's bloody civil war. Royce was a leader in seeing that Charles Taylor face justice before the Special Court.
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