U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo has announced the sentencing of Waleed Abughanem, a 33-year-old resident of Lackawanna, New York. Abughanem was convicted of misprision of felony and sentenced to 36 months in prison by U.S. District Judge John L. Sinatra, Jr.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Charles M. Kruly and Maeve E. Huggins detailed that Waleed Abughanem is the son of Khaled Abughanem and brother to Adham Abughanem. On September 8, 2021, Khaled and Adham traveled from Buffalo, NY to Guadalajara, Mexico with the intent to kidnap Victim 1, who is their daughter and sister respectively.
Between September 10, 2021, and April 6, 2023, the three men conspired to transport Victim 1 from New York to Cairo, Egypt and subsequently to Sanaa, Yemen. She was held there for approximately 16 months with plans for her marriage against her will.
Waleed Abughanem was aware that Victim 1 was being held involuntarily and spent some time in Yemen during this period. When not present in Yemen himself, he instructed his wife to oversee Victim 1's confinement. In December 2022, upon returning to the United States from Yemen, Waleed provided false information about Victim 1's whereabouts when questioned by U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers.
Khaled and Adham Abughanem have been previously convicted by a federal jury at trial and are awaiting sentencing.
The investigation leading to Waleed’s conviction involved several agencies including the Federal Bureau of Investigation under Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Miraglia; the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service led by Diplomatic Security Director Carlos Matus and Deputy Assistant Secretary Paul Houston; as well as assistance from the Lackawanna Police Department under Chief Mark Packard; Customs and Border Protection directed by Rose Brophy; and CPB in Boston.
