NY judge warns Osama's son-in-law that chosen lawyer could end up in prison

A US judge has warned Osama bin Laden's son-in-law that a lawyer he hired to represent him on charges he conspired to kill Americans could end up in prison himself.

U.S. District Judge Lewis A. Kaplan told Sulaiman Abu Ghaith that he could cause himself problems by hiring Stanley Cohen to defend him against the charges imposed on him as al-Qaida's chief spokesman.

According to Fox News, Cohen was indicted last year in New York on charges that he failed to file individual and corporate tax returns between 2005 and 2010 and committed other tax-related violations.

Kaplan said he wanted to make clear to Abu Ghaith that Cohen 'has interests that are potentially in conflict with your own'.

He also told Ghaith that it was 'quite possibly ill advised' to hire an attorney who himself was facing criminal charges.

He noted that Cohen might not be able to obtain security clearance from the government to view classified materials necessary to prepare for trial.

Abu Ghaith insisted he wanted Cohen to represent him after his brother in Kuwait hired the veteran civil rights attorney, the report added.