Iowa Appeals Court affirms sentence for father who helped his son flee to Jordan

The Iowa Appeals Court has upheld the sentence of a man charged with helping his son avoid an attempted murder and robbery trial in Iowa City by fleeing to Jordan.

The father, Alfred Ali Mohammad Younes, 49, of Sutherland, already was released on parole in May after serving less than a year of a five-year sentence.

He and his wife, Lima Khairi Mohammad Younes, 45, were accused of helping their son, Ali Younes, 21, escape house arrest by fleeing to Jordan. Alfred Younes pleaded to the charges last fall after a Johnson County jury convicted Lima Younes.

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Both were released early in May. Then in September, the younger Younes voluntarily returned from Jordan to face the charges against him.

The father appealed his sentence, arguing the court “erred by relying on community deterrence as the only factor in determining his sentence,” according to the ruling.

The ruling, filed last month, states that judge explicitly stated multiple factors as reasons for giving Younes the five-year sentence. But Younes argued the other factors mentioned — including “personal characteristics” and the belief the sentence would hold him accountable — were cursory because the judge did not explain what personal characteristics led to the sentencing decision.

The appeals court disagreed, stating that although the reference to personal characteristics was brief, it clearly was an acknowledgment of the details of a presentence investigation report.

“Even though it emphasized the need for community deterrence in its reasoning, the court made it clear the prison sentence was based on the consideration of multiple sentencing factors. Finding no abuse of discretion, we affirm,” the ruling concludes.

Ali Younes is accused of choking a woman on the University of Iowa campus until she lost consciousness and then stealing her earrings, valued at $20,000, in April 2022. He faced up to 60 years in prison. But before trial, he cut off his ankle monitor while on house arrest and fled to Jordan on May 6, 2023, according to court documents.

He now also faces an escape charge. A date for his trial has not been set.

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