US man convicted of aiding Islamic State as sniper, trainer
BY JENNIFER PELTZ
Associated Press
NEW YORK (AP) — A former New York stockbroker-turned-Islamic State group militant has been convicted of becoming a sniper and trainer for the extremist group during its brutal reign in Syria and Iraq. A Brooklyn federal court jury reached a verdict Tuesday in the trial of Ruslan Maratovich Asainov, a Kazakh-born U.S. citizen. Prosecutors say he fought in numerous battles and built a notable profile in the Islamic State group by becoming a sniper and later an instructor of nearly 100 other long-range shooters. Defense lawyers argued that his accounts of his role were boasts that had no firsthand corroboration and didn’t prove anyone died because of his conduct.
