Abduwali Abdukhadir Muse — the sole surviving accused pirate who was extradited to the United States following the foiled April 8, 2009, attack on the Maersk Alabama — agreed not to challenge a potential prison sentence of nearly 34 years.

He will be sentenced Oct. 19.

Muse said "God knows that I have taken what has been told me" and "Yes, I remember" when Manhattan federal court Judge Loretta Preska asked him if he remembered being told about the sentencing guideline range of 27 years to 33 years and nine months under his plea agreement with US prosecutors.

Muse's exact age is unknown but his lawyers lost a bid to have him tried as a minor. He spoke in court through a Somali interpreter and told the judge he understood he could not challenge another judge's ruling that he be tried as an adult.

He had previously pleaded not guilty to the charges.

The Somali waived his right to appeal his conviction and sentencing after admitting to charges of seizing a ship by force, conspiracy to seize a ship by force, hostage taking, conspiracy to commit hostage taking, kidnapping and conspiracy to commit kidnapping.

The captain of the Maersk Alabama, Richard Phillips, was held hostage on a lifeboat for several days after he volunteered to go with the pirates in exchange for the crew. He was rescued when US Navy snipers killed three pirates and captured Muse.

The indictments of Muse do not identify the other two ships.

Pirates operating off the coast of Somalia have stepped up hijacking attacks on vessels in the Indian Ocean and the Gulf of Aden, making tens of millions of dollars in ransoms by seizing ships, including tankers, despite the presence of dozens of foreign naval vessels.

The case is USA v Muse, US District Court for the Southern District of New York, No. 09-512.