' s ▁charges ▁ended ▁in ▁a ▁hung ▁j ury . ▁When ▁faced ▁with ▁a ▁ret rial ▁for ▁the ▁same ▁off enses , ▁he ▁p led ▁guilty ▁in ▁exchange ▁for ▁a ▁release ▁with ▁time ▁served . ▁ ▁Deb ate ▁The ▁younger ▁Hay at ' s ▁conv iction ▁is ▁controvers ial ▁in ▁some ▁circles . ▁Supp or ters ▁of ▁the ▁Hay ats ▁believe ▁them ▁to ▁be ▁innoc ents ▁rail road ed ▁by ▁over ze alous ▁F BI ▁agents ▁and ▁post - 9 / 1 1 ▁Islam oph ob ia . ▁They ▁c ite ▁the ▁occasionally ▁out land ish ▁nature ▁of ▁the ▁conf essions , ▁especially ▁U mer ' s , ▁in ▁particular ▁where ▁he ▁describes ▁a ▁supposed ▁al - Q a eda ▁training ▁camp ▁populated ▁by ▁a ▁thousand ▁men ▁doing ▁" pole ▁v ault " ▁practice ▁in ▁nin ja ▁mask s ▁( Te en age ▁Mut ant ▁Nin ja ▁T urt le ▁mask s , ▁according ▁to ▁the ▁Los ▁Angeles ▁Times ). ▁ ▁Ham id ▁Hay at ' s ▁att orney , ▁W az h ma ▁M oj add idi , ▁also ▁claims ▁that ▁he ▁had ▁been ▁worn ▁down ▁by ▁the ▁F BI ' s ▁five - hour ▁inter rog ation ▁and ▁conf essed ▁to ▁cr imes ▁he ▁did ▁not ▁commit . ▁Ham id ▁and ▁U mer ▁Hay at ' s ▁separate , ▁vide ot aped ▁conf essions ▁were ▁the ▁lin ch pin ▁of ▁the ▁government ' s ▁case . ▁Form er ▁F BI ▁agent ▁James ▁Wed ick ▁Jr ., ▁a ▁veter an ▁of ▁