BUFFALO, N.Y. — Waleed Abughanem, 32, of Lackawanna, N.Y., has pleaded guilty to misprision of felony for his involvement in a conspiracy to kidnap his sister and force her into an arranged marriage in Yemen. U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced the guilty plea on Wednesday, which could result in a maximum sentence of three years in prison and a fine of $250,000.
According to Assistant U.S. Attorneys Charles M. Kruly and Maeve E. Huggins, the victim, Abughanem’s sister, had fled to Guadalajara, Mexico, in September 2021, fearing that her family would pressure her into a non-consensual arranged marriage. Despite being assured by her father, Khaled Abughanem, and her brother, Adham Abughanem, that she could marry her fiancé if she returned to the U.S., the family instead confined her to their Lackawanna home upon her return.
In October 2021, Khaled and Adham Abughanem convinced the victim to travel with them to Egypt under false pretenses, later taking her to Yemen, where she was held against her will for over a year. Waleed Abughanem was aware of the plan and drove the victim to the airport, knowing she would be forced into an arranged marriage. He later traveled to Yemen, where he helped monitor her, and lied to U.S. Customs and Border Protection about her whereabouts, claiming she was in the U.S.
The victim was held involuntarily in Yemen from October 2021 until her release in April 2023. The case is part of an ongoing investigation into forced marriages and international abduction.
