Earnest James Ujaama (born 1966) is a convicted felon who was found guilty of supporting al-Qaeda.
Born in Denver, Colorado in 1966 as James Thompson, he moved with his family to Seattle at the age of 5. He converted to Islam and changed his name to Ujaama. On June 10, 1994, then Washington state lawmaker Jesse Wineberry issued a certificate declaring James Ujaama Day in the state of Washington.[1] Certificate of Special Congressional Recognition from Senator Harry Reid, a key to the City of Las Vegas,[2] was honored by KCPQ13 as a "Special Person". While traveling in England in 1999, he had meetings with Abu Hamza al-Masri, a radical Muslim cleric.[3] Ujaama also traveled to Afghanistan in 1999 to study Sharia and offer his support to al-Qaeda, according to family friends.
Ujaama was arrested in Denver on July 22, 2002 as a material witness. He was transferred to a hospital in Virginia around July 29, and held there with restricted access to family or counsel until an indictment for providing material resources to al-Qaeda was returned against him in Seattle. These charges included attempting to create a camp for training terrorists near Bly, Oregon between October and December 1999.
In April 2003, the government dropped those charges and filed a complaint accusing Ujaama of providing money, computer equipment and women to Taliban officials in Afghanistan. In February of the following year, Ujaama pled guilty in a plea bargain: in return for a two year sentence, he would provide information for ongoing terrorism investigations—especially for what he knew about al-Masri, whose Web site Ujaama once ran.
Federal officials have said Ujaama's help was useful in the 2004 indictment of al-Masri on charges of trying to establish the training camp in Bly, Oregon.[4] In December 2006, Ujaama was once again arrested in Belize after violating parole in the United States.[5] He was in possession of a counterfeit Mexican passport at the time of his apprehension.[4]
On August 13, 2007, he pled guilty to charges of raising money for terrorism and for attempting to set up training camps.[6]
In 2009, during the trial of Oussama Kassir, Ujaama's promise to help the British men set up a jihad training camp in Oregon was described as a "petty hustle".[3] Kassir, and Haroon Rashid Aswat were two British man who were to be the camp's trainers were disappointed with the facilities Ujaama had provided at the Dog Cry Ranch. According to the Komo News Kassir was "enraged" because "He expected to be welcomed by Muslim recruits, eager to learn the ways of war." Ujaama had provided two recruits Semi Osman, a "mechanic and part time imam" from Seattle, and his teenage brother-in-law who was mentally delayed. Ujaama had provided just two weapons. The only accommodation were two dilapidated trailers, one of which was occupied by the sympathetic wife of the owner of the Ranch. After listening to the British men's complaint during the first day, Ujaama slipped away the night of their arrival.