Brit convicted as ‘Beatle’ in Islamic State beheadings trial

By MATTHEW BARAKAT
Associated Press

ALEXANDRIA, Va. (AP) — A jury has convicted a British national for his role in an Islamic State group hostage-taking scheme that took roughly two dozen Westerners captive a decade ago. Four Americans taken hostage were killed, including three who were beheaded in videos broadcast online. The federal jury in Alexandria, Virginia, convicted Elsheikh on all eight counts. Prosecutors said Elsheikh was one of the notorious “Beatles,” Islamic State captors nicknamed for their accents and known for their cruelty. Surviving witnesses testified about beatings and torture inflicted by the Beatles. Elsheikh now faces up to a life sentence.