Homaidan Al-Turki, a 56-year-old Saudi national, was arrested by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials after his release from the Arapahoe County Jail in Centennial, Colorado. He had served 19 years in prison for serious crimes, including holding his housekeeper captive and sexually molesting her. Following a jury trial in 2006, Al-Turki was convicted on multiple charges, including misdemeanor false imprisonment, 11 counts of felony unlawful sexual contact, felony extortion, and felony theft exceeding $15,000. His incarceration involved time served in the Colorado Department of Corrections, where he was sentenced to a six-years-to-life term.
Despite becoming eligible for parole in 2011, Al-Turki’s release was delayed due to his failure to complete the mandated sex-offender treatment program. Throughout his time in prison, he filed numerous legal motions, one of which was a recent claim alleging inadequate representation by his defense counsel during his trial. In response to this claim, District Court Judge Eric White agreed to hold a hearing, indicating that the jury instructions regarding the unlawful sexual contact charges may not have been clearly understood by Al-Turki’s original attorneys.
The legal complexities of Al-Turki’s convictions revealed that the unlawful sexual contact charges were enhanced to felonies due to the presence of force and intimidation in the crimes committed against his housekeeper. Originally, the attorneys believed these charges fell under misdemeanor offenses, which would carry lighter sentences. As a result of the jury’s findings, Al-Turki was sentenced to serve concurrent terms of imprisonment but was also ordered to complete sex offender treatment, a requirement that he failed to fulfill prior to his release.
In a notable development, the 18th Judicial District Attorney’s Office agreed to amend some of Al-Turki’s felony counts, contingent upon his deportation to Saudi Arabia. After pleading guilty in recent proceedings, Al-Turki was re-sentenced to the previously assigned terms of six years in the Department of Corrections. This re-sentencing aimed to ensure that he remains a convicted sex offender while facilitating his removal from the United States.
ICE officials highlighted that Al-Turki initially entered the U.S. in 1992, subsequently leaving and re-entering multiple times, including a lawful entry in 2002 after being questioned in connection with the 9/11 attacks. Since 2013, Al-Turki has faced an administrative order of removal, and ICE confirmed that he would no longer be welcomed back to the country. The shared sentiments among law enforcement emphasized the necessity of removing individuals convicted of serious crimes from American communities.
The decision to deport Al-Turki appears to strike a balance between legal accountability and resource management for the judicial system. Assistant District Attorney Ryan Brackley noted that it was a challenging decision but ultimately deemed it appropriate to ensure the safety of the community while still adhering to the rule of law. Consequently, Al-Turki’s case underscores the complexities of immigration law, criminal justice, and the measures taken to address convicted criminals who are also foreign nationals.
