![]() Both the state charge and the federal complaint reference one robbery on April 6 in which Card is accused of going into a Westbrook Gulf Mart store, showing the clerk what is believed to have been a black firearm and telling the clerk to open the register and give him money. However, prosecutors have said they believe Card may have committed some or all of 11 unsolved robberies that occurred over four weeks in March and April. Attorney’s Office mentioned only one robbery in announcing the federal charge and Card so far has been charged with only one robbery in state court. Card was arrested in Westbrook on April 13 by FBI agents and police from three communities. District Court in Portland with interference with commerce by robbery.įederal officials said their charge arose from the investigation into armed robberies in the Portland area in early spring. Card, 38, of Westbrook was charged Friday by criminal complaint in U.S. Mursal’s family celebrated his life with a viewing on Friday and plans to hold a burial service Saturday in Portland at his church on Congress Street.A man charged in one of a string of robberies across southern Maine now faces a federal charge. “He showed me never to give up and never to stop what you’re chasing because there will always be an answer to what you’re looking for,” he said. He said he knows his father will be watching as he takes care of his brother and mother, and as he accomplishes his goals. Kumondan said his father was a very encouraging and motivational person. Pastor Mursal lived a life of service on behalf of humanity,” the fundraiser organizers wrote. He shared his time, wisdom, and whatever little money he had with those in need. “He was an embodiment of community in the Sudanese sense. It had raised nearly $7,000 as of Friday evening. Members of the South Sudanese Group of Friends set up a GoFundMe campaign to raise money to help cover funeral expenses. In the days since Mursal’s death, the community has gathered each day to support his family. He was very open and he carried his love of God with him everywhere he went,” Ochira said. Many in the South Sudanese community in Maine knew him as a pastor who was always willing to listen and connect. Mursal was a gregarious man who liked to joke around, but he was also a constant, supportive presence who felt a responsibility to help families and guide young people, Ochira said. “They loved him and enjoyed his presence,” Kumondan said. ![]() He was always taking photos and live streaming his services on Facebook, his son said. Mursal often made time to visit people he had met in Africa while he was traveling outside of Maine. He frequently traveled across the country to preach, bringing along his wife and sons, including 9-year-old Sila, to sing and play instruments. Much of Mursal’s life revolved around his faith and his church, Our Nations Shukuru Yesu Church in Portland. He planned to go back to school this year to pursue an advanced degree, his son said. Mursal went on to earn associate’s and bachelor’s degrees in business administration and worked as a supervisor at Abbott Laboratories. They decided to stay in Maine to be close to family, said their son, Ganzi Kumondan, a 17-year-old high school senior. But because of a paperwork issue, they weren’t able to go there directly and instead came to Portland, where Mokesi’s sisters and mother were living. He and his wife, Asunta Mokesi, whom he married in Cairo in 2003, were supposed to settle in Kansas City, Missouri. Mursal was from South Sudan and came to the United States in the early 2000s as a refugee. “He was such a big leader in the community.” “I don’t know how to describe the void that’s left in the community,” said John Ochira, who knew Mursal for many years as a former president of the South Sudanese Community Association of Maine. He died unexpectedly on June 25 at Maine Medical Center surrounded by his family. Mursal, a respected member of the South Sudanese community in Maine, was known for his faith, his encouragement, and his ability to bring peace and calm to those around him.
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