George Washington University has fired a former Al Qaeda terrorist, turned research fellow, after his arrest last month for cocaine possession and prostitution.
Jesse Morton (formerly Younus Abdullah Muhammad) was hired by the university’s Center for Cyber and Homeland Security last August to conduct counter-terrorism research.
A university spokesperson confirmed to the Washington Post that Morton was terminated.
Morton, age 38, was born to an abusive household in Pennsylvania and was recruited by extremist groups. His latest drug arrest is not his first as he served jail time in Virginia for drug-related offenses where he met an Islamic extremist and one of his followers.
According to authorities, Morton was arrested in Virginia on December 28 after answering to an advertisement on Backpage.com for a prostitute. When he arrived at the Governor House Inn & Suites in Fairfax County, he was arrested. Searching his car, police found cocaine and a glass pipe in a pack of Marlboro cigarettes in addition to another device for smoking crack cocaine.
Morton was formerly a recruiter for the terrorist group Al Qaeda. Five years ago, he threatened the creators of the TV series South Park for depicting the Prophet Muhammad in a bear suit. In 2012, he began to serve a minimum 11-year prison sentence, but was released after three years due to good behavior.
The Center for Cyber and Homeland Security did not respond to multiple requests for comment from Red Alert.
