Federal jury in Scranton to begin deliberations in torture trial

Terrie Morgan-Besecker, The Times-Tribune, Scranton, Pa.
2 min read
0

May 19—SCRANTON — A federal jury will soon begin deliberations in the trial of a Stroudsburg man charged with torturing an employee who raised concerns about the construction of a weapons manufacturing plant in the Kurdistan region of Iraq in 2015.

Ross Roggio was indicted in September on charges he ordered Kurdish soldiers to abduct the victim, Siim Sebastian Saar, and hold him at a military compound, where he was brutalized over a five-week period from October to November 2015.

Roggio is also on trial for charges filed in 2018, that allege he conspired to illegally export firearm parts and tools to Iraq. Attorneys gave closing arguments Friday morning in the trial, which began May 15 before U.S. District Judge Robert D. Mariani.

According to an indictment, Roggio led multiple interrogation sessions during which he directed Kurdish soldiers to suffocate Saar, a native of Estonia, with a plastic bag, shock him in the groin area, beat him with fists and rubber hoses, force him to run barefoot on sharp gravel, and threaten to cut off one of his fingers. In one instance, Roggio wrapped his belt around Saar's neck and hoisted him into the air until he lost consciousness.

In his closing argument, Roggio's attorney, Gino Bartolai, acknowledged Roggio took part in the torture sessions, but argued he did so under duress because he feared he would be harmed. Duress is a legal defense for breaking the law in certain circumstances.

"How do I say what Ross Roggio did was ok? It's not," Bartolai told jurors. "He was trying to get out of a situation by any means he could. ... Desperate times call for desperate measures."

Scott Claffee, an attorney with the Department of Justice's national security division, refuted Bartolai's characterization of Roggio's conduct. The reality, he said, is Roggio wanted to punish Saar for being disloyal and send a message to other employees they would suffer the same fate if they did not obey him.

"These are the actions of a man who knew exactly what he was doing," Claffee said.

Mariani began instructing jurors shortly before noon on the legal standards to evaluate all the charges. The panel will begin deliberations once that process is complete.

Check back for updates.

Contact the writer: tbesecker@timesshamrock.com; 570-348-9137; @tmbeseckerTT on Twitter.

Advertisement

Recommended Stories

  • Forget Nvidia: Jim Cramer Says This Company Could Be About to Cash In on Artificial Intelligence (AI) Data Centers

    Data center services are witnessing outsized demand as the AI revolution unfolds.

  • 'Dumb Money' Loses $13.1 Billion In Latest GameStop Stock Mania

    It appears GameStop meme investors got suckered — again. Investors who jumped into the latest online frenzy over shares of the struggling video game retailer lost $13.1 billion in just three days from the mania's high, says an Investor's Business Daily analysis of data from S&P Global Market Intelligence and MarketSurge. It's been a costly lesson for investors, some of which may have lost billions the last time on GameStop and other highly shorted stocks touted on social media.

  • Red Lobster Chain Goes Bankrupt After Unlimited Shrimp Deal

    (Bloomberg) -- Seafood restaurant chain Red Lobster filed for bankruptcy, succumbing to onerous leases, high labor costs and a disastrous unlimited shrimp promotion. Most Read from BloombergIran State TV Says ‘No Sign of Life’ at Helicopter Crash SiteSpeedier Wall Street Trades Are Putting Global Finance On EdgeSaudi Crown Prince Postpones Japan Trip Over King’s HealthOne of the Last Big Bears on Wall Street Turns Bullish on US StocksEbrahim Raisi, Iranian President Confronting West, Dies at 63T

  • Jim Cramer Destroys New Starbucks CEO In Heated Interview, Says He Was "Stunned" As Its Former CEO Admits a "Fall From Grace"

    Despite a strong start to the year for stock markets, investors in Starbucks (NASDAQ:SBUX) have been left bitterly disappointed with its shares down by approximately 20% at the time of this writing. After the earnings miss, Laxman Narasimhan, the new CEO of Starbucks, appeared on Jim Cramer's Mad Money to try and explain both the results and the company's path forward. Don't Miss: Startup behind ‘the #1 free contractor app' grows 162% YoY, opens its doors for investors at a $100 minimum. Invest

  • Florida’s 125% Surge in Property-Insurance Bills Sows Havoc

    (Bloomberg) -- For Filicia Porter, the insurance bills were the final straw. They’d been climbing steeply for her assisted-living business as Florida was battered with ever more-powerful storms, and eventually, the numbers stopped adding up.Most Read from BloombergIran State TV Says ‘No Sign of Life’ at Helicopter Crash SiteSpeedier Wall Street Trades Are Putting Global Finance On EdgeSaudi Crown Prince Postpones Japan Trip Over King’s HealthOne of the Last Big Bears on Wall Street Turns Bullish

  • Jamie Dimon delivers startling message about inflation

    Consumer prices climbed 3.4% year-on-year in April.

  • Bank of America Predicts up to ~200% Surge for These 2 ‘Strong Buy’ Stocks

    New indicators of a cooling economy eased inflation concerns, driving the S&P 500 to record highs last week. The index, which dropped around 4% in April, is now up 11% for the year. Will this momentum continue? Savita Subramanian, head of US Equity and Quantitative strategy at Bank of America, believes it will. She’s taking an upbeat stance on the current market outlook, and backs it with a look at long-term results from the past 300-plus quarters. “20 were recessionary, 13 were stagflationary,

  • Ask an Advisor: I Don't Need Them ‘Dumped Into My Checking Account.' What Can I Do With RMDs?

    I am approaching the time when I'll take required minimum distributions (RMDs) from my individual retirement account (IRA). I am in a quandary about what I can do with this anticipated largesse of cash. I do not necessarily need the … Continue reading → The post Ask an Advisor: I Don't Need Them ‘Dumped Into My Checking Account.' What Can I Do With RMDs? appeared first on SmartAsset Blog.

  • Microsoft delivers an AI blow to Nvidia

    The software giant goes with Nvidia's rival for a platform of AI chips.

  • Investors Heavily Search Super Micro Computer, Inc. (SMCI): Here is What You Need to Know

    Recently, Zacks.com users have been paying close attention to Super Micro (SMCI). This makes it worthwhile to examine what the stock has in store.