Mohamed Waes, a resident of Reynoldsburg, Ohio, was sentenced to 5 1/2 years in prison for threatening to blow up a Columbus Planned Parenthood clinic and conspiring to launder money. The U.S. Department of Justice announced that Waes, aged 33, received a sentence of 66 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release. In addition to his prison term, Waes is required to pay $273,982.08 in restitution.
The threat made by Waes occurred on July 5, 2022, when he threatened to burn down a reproductive health clinic with the intention of intimidating its employees and preventing them from providing care to patients.
Assistant U.S. Attorney General Kristen Clark emphasized that using threats of violence to obstruct access to reproductive healthcare is unlawful and reiterated the Justice Department’s commitment to protecting both patients seeking reproductive health services and the providers offering those services.
Ohio Man Sentenced to 5 1/2 Years for Threatening Planned Parenthood and Money Laundering
In February, Waes pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge under the federal Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act, which prohibits intentionally interfering with or intimidating individuals for providing reproductive health services. He admitted to calling Planned Parenthood of Greater Ohio and threatening to burn down its facilities.
Additionally, Waes pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit money laundering after attempting to launder over $1.92 million obtained through business email fraud schemes.
The scheme involved creating seemingly legitimate emails from vendors requesting payments for real invoices but directing the funds to bank accounts controlled by Waes and his accomplices. He successfully laundered $273,982.08, which he is now ordered to repay.
