Federal prosecutors say a Ventura County man is headed to federal prison for making death threats to staff members at reproductive health centers, and a non-profit.
Investigators say Nishith Vandebona used an internet application to create anonymous numbers to make threatening calls. They say he targeted Planned Parenthood facilities in Santa Barbara, and Los Angeles, and a Ventura non-profit advocating zero population growth.
The incidents occurred in 2022, before and after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the landmark Roe vs. Wade abortion rights decision.
Prosecutors say the death threats crossed the line from free speech to criminal activity. Vandebona pled guilty to one felony, and one misdemeanor charge. The 34-year-old Oxnard man was sentenced to 18 months in federal prison.
