In May 2010, Muse pleaded guilty to several felony charges, including . In exchange for his plea, federal prosecutors dropped the specific charge of "piracy under the law of nations," which would have carried a mandatory life sentence.

Today, Muse remains largely removed from the public eye. He does not give interviews, and his contact with the outside world is heavily monitored. While the movie Captain Phillips solidified his image as the wide-eyed, desperate antagonist "Skinny," the real Abduwali Muse lives a monotonous, regimented existence in Indiana.

In April 2009, Muse gained international notoriety as the only surviving pirate from the group that seized the Maersk Alabama and took Captain Richard Phillips hostage. Captured by the U.S. Navy during a dramatic rescue operation, Muse was brought to New York City to face trial. Because his age was a matter of dispute—his mother claimed he was 16, while U.S. authorities determined he was at least 18—he became the first person in over a century to be charged with piracy in a U.S. court. Life Behind Bars

Muse’s imprisonment continues to spark debate regarding international justice. Critics and legal observers have pointed out the stark contrast between his sentence and those given to other Somali pirates, who are often tried in African courts or European systems and receive significantly shorter terms.

On February 16, 2011, U.S. District Judge Loretta A. Preska sentenced Muse to (405 months) in federal prison. He was also ordered to pay $550,000 in restitution to his victims. Life in Prison