Buffalo, New York (WNY News Now).A federal jury found 52-year-old Khaled Abughanem and his 28-year-old son, Adham Abughanem, of Lackawanna, New York, guilty of plotting to abduct and take Adham’s sister and Khaled’s daughter to Yemen, where they were detained against their will for 16 months. The goal of the plot was to compel her to enter into a marriage against her will.
Additionally, Khaled Abughanem was convicted of threatening to kill the victim as part of his retaliation for her cooperation with the police.
On September 8, 2021, Khaled Abughanem and Adham Abughanem flew from Buffalo, New York, to Guadalajara, Mexico, to abduct Victim 1, Khaled’s daughter and Adham’s sister, according to Assistant U.S. Attorneys Charles M. Kruly and Maeve E. Huggins, who prosecuted the case. The defendants planned to take Victim 1 from the Western District of New York to Cairo, Egypt, and then to Sanaa, Yemen, between September 10, 2021, and April 6, 2023. There, they imprisoned her for almost 16 months in order to marry her to a man she did not choose. Furthermore, on March 14, 2023, defendant Khaled Abughanem threatened to kill Victim 1 in reprisal for Victim 1 providing a law enforcement official with information about a federal felony.
This decision ends a trying period for the victim, who was twice abducted by family members, carried against her will to Yemen, detained for over a year, denied the right to travel and communicate, subjected to physical abuse, and had her life threatened, said U.S. Attorney Ross. Because of the victim’s bravery and the investigators’ and prosecutors’ unwavering commitment to this case, these offenders are being held accountable.
According to Matthew Miraglia, Special Agent-in-Charge of the FBI’s Buffalo Field Office, the agency places a high priority on safeguarding American people’ safety and civil rights. Strong investigation efforts by the FBI, Customs and Border Protection, and the Diplomatic Security Service of the U.S. Department of State directly led to today’s verdict. The FBI places a high priority on all of our collaborations with local, state, and federal law enforcement.
According to DSS Protective Intelligence Investigations Director Greg Anderson, the Diplomatic Security Service would like to honor the victim’s unwavering bravery in this case as well as the close cooperation between DSS, the FBI, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the Lackawanna Police Department, and the Western District of New York U.S. Attorney’s Office. With the most extensive worldwide reach of any U.S. law enforcement organization, the Diplomatic Security Service is dedicated to making sure that those who commit horrible crimes, such as Adham and Khaled Abughanem, are held accountable in the United States.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation, led by Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Miraglia, and the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service, led by Protective Intelligence Investigations Director Greg Anderson, conducted the investigation that led to the verdict.
Judge John L. Sinatra, Jr., who oversaw the case’s trial, will sentence the defendant on June 17, 2025.