The creator of the anti-Islamic video that sparked religious riots across the Middle East is under arrest.
The film, posted on YouTube, caused widespread outrage in the Arab world, leading to the killing of four Americans in an attack on the U.S. embassy in Libya, including the American ambassador, Chris Stevens.
Nakoula Basseley Nakoula, 55, was arrested in Los Angeles on Thursday, after violating the terms of his probation stemming from a bank fraud case in 2010, reports The New York Times.
Nakoula is known for using a string of aliases in several felony fraud cases. He used the name Sam Bacile to mask his involvement with "Innocence of Muslims," the film purporting to expose the truth behind the life of the Prophet Muhammad, founder of Islam.
As Bacile, Nakoula had claimed to be Jewish and funded the film with donations from other American Jews. It was later discovered that Nakoula is a Coptic Christian from Egypt.
In court on Thursday, Nakoula gave yet another name, Mark Basseley Nakoula. He is being held without bond, as Judge Suzanne Segal decided he was a flight risk and a danger to the community, citing a pattern of falsehoods.
In 2010, Nakoula was found in possession of 641 credit and debit cards that were not his. He had carried out a check-cashing scheme against Wells Fargo Bank, and he was ordered to pay $794,000 in restitution.
He served a year in prison and was released on probation. Part of his probation restricted his use of the internet and aliases, some of the eight violations that caused his arrest on Thursday.
He faces up to two additional years in prison. Officials face challenges keeping Nakoula safe. A cabinet minister in Pakistan has offered a reward of $100,000 to anyone who kills him.
Police say Nakoula will likely be placed in protective custody.
While American officials have roundly condemned the video, calling it amateurish and reprehensible, they have been quick to defend free speech rights, against outcries from the Muslim world demanding that the video be taken down and the creator punished.
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