By Noah Manskar
Editor-in-Chief
Former Ohio Wesleyan student Waleed Osman filed a guilty plea to charges of burglary, voyeurism and public indecency on Monday.
Osman was arrested in the early morning of Dec. 1, 2012, after he went into a Thomson Hall women’s bathroom and tried to watch a female resident shower.
He also gained access to a woman’s bedroom in Bashford Hall, where he then lived, and exposed himself to her. He was charged with two counts of burglary (one for each residence hall invasion), a third-degree felony; and one count each of voyeurism (watching the woman shower) and public indecency (exposing himself), both third-degree misdemeanors.
Osman waived his right to grand jury indictment on Jan. 29 and was indicted by a bill of information from Prosecuting Attorney Carol Hamilton O’Brien. He initially plead not guilty.
According to Kyle Rohrer, first assistant prosecuting attorney for Delaware County, the change came following his acknowledgement of wrongdoing to the investigating detective.
“He basically admitted to everything we had him charged with, so I think he wanted to get this behind him, basically—accept the responsibility and take the consequences and get this behind him and try to piece his life back together,” Rohrer said.
Each felony charge carries a maximum sentence of 36 months in prison and a $10,000 fine; each misdemeanor entails a maximum 60 days in Delaware County jail and a $500 fine. Osman’s total maximum statutory prison sentence is just over three years.
In the hearing Monday morning, Judge Duncan Whitney said the penalties could be “stacked,” or doubled, because “they are distinct, separate offenses” with separate victims. Rohrer said Osman’s plea agreement decreased his potential jail time to just over three years. He will be sentenced on June 3 at 11:30 a.m.
Rohrer said he expected a “probationary sentence,” but is uncertain exactly how much time Osman will serve. He said he’s already spent about two months in county jail; records indicate he was released on Jan. 31.
“(W)hat to do is really up to the court,” he said.
Osman’s attorney, Dennis Evans, declined comment on the hearing.
Osman could also be subjected to as much as five full years of post-release control governed by the Adult Parole Board. Whitney said in the hearing that the board “makes the rules” and decides when they’re broken. If Osman were to violate the established terms of release, he could face additional jail time up to half what he’ll first serves.
Additionally, Whitney said the guilty plea meant Osman forfeited all his criminal defendant rights except his right to counsel, including: the guarantee of a speedy and public trial, presentation and cross-examination of witnesses, the requirement of the state to prove his guilt beyond a reasonable doubt and his Fifth Amendment rights.
The state will also conduct a pre-sentence investigation (PSI) through Adult Court Services (ACS). According to Ohio Revised Code 2951.03, a PSI involves an evaluation of “the criminal record, social history and present condition of the defendant” and possibly a “physical and mental examination,” including a drug test.
Prior to the hearing, Osman had been under house arrest without GPS monitoring at his home in Cincinnati. Because he’s been compliant, Whitney issued an amendment to the order—Osman can leave his home to work, but must stay confined otherwise.
During the hearing, Evans said Osman wished to work with his cousins, who run a “lucrative” business selling souvenirs at fairs and festivals in Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana; he also wants to find other work closer to Cincinnati.
Whitney approved, but said Osman must get permission from ACS before leaving the state.
Following his arrest, a no-contact order was issued prohibiting Osman from interacting with the women who reported him; he’s also forbidden from accessing OWU property. Both orders remain intact with the house arrest caveat.
Upon his December arrest, Osman’s bail was set at $150,000, then lowered to $50,000. Eventually, the court reduced the bond to $500.
According to a Dec. 19 request from Evans to reduce the initial amount, Osman and his parents came to the United States as refugees from Sudan when he was 10.
He gained American citizenship in 2008, and attended Cincinnati’s prestigious Walnut Hills High School, ranked the top public high school in Ohio and the 66th-best in the nation.