The trial begins for a Somali man accused of being the highest-ranking pirate the U.S. has ever captured.
Mohammad Saaili Shibin was in federal court in Norfolk today.
The U.S. attorney’s office tells NewsChannel 3 that jury selection began, but the judge stopped the selection early this afternoon because of a car crash.
He's not releasing any details about it.
Shibin faces piracy and weapons charges for his role in the hijacking of the Yacht Quest which left all four Americans on board dead.
Prosecutors say Shibin acted as a land-based negotiator who researched how much money people could be ransomed for.
Late last year, Shibin's attorney wrote in a federal court filing that he could not provide an adequate defense for Mohammad Saali Shibin because it is too dangerous to travel to Somalia. He wanted all charges dropped, but that did not happen.
Shibin's attorney has also argued that Shibin is not a pirate because he never boarded the yacht.
If convicted of piracy, Shibin faces a mandatory life sentence.
