A Pennsylvania-based physician, Amy Cohen, 36, has been sentenced to a prison term ranging from 11 to 23 months following her guilty plea to charges of arson, making terroristic threats, stalking, and recklessly endangering another person. The charges stem from incidents where Cohen sent threatening flyers and set fire to the porch of a house owned by the 99-year-old grandmother of her ex-boyfriend’s new partner.
Cohen’s sentence was handed down on Wednesday, with the court taking into account the six months she had already spent in a mental health facility. Her attorney, John McMahon, had requested probation, arguing that it was in everyone’s best interest for Cohen to continue her healing process rather than face incarceration. However, Montgomery County Judge Wendy Rothstein insisted that Cohen needed to be held accountable for her actions.
The woman at the center of Cohen’s actions also addressed the court, expressing her fear for her safety when Cohen was out on bond. She criticized Cohen’s disregard for human life, especially given her profession as a doctor. She also mentioned that her grandmother, now 101 and suffering from memory issues, still inquires about the incident.
A psychologist who treated Cohen testified that she had been diagnosed with borderline personality disorder, ADHD, and anxiety since childhood. At the time of the crimes, Cohen was reportedly abusing Adderall, a medication she had been prescribed. The doctor also noted that Cohen, an infectious disease specialist, was dealing with the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Cohen apologized to the court, acknowledging that her words could not compensate for her actions but expressing hope that the victims could begin to heal. The investigation into Cohen’s actions began in November 2023 when police were alerted to a threatening flyer left at the elderly woman’s home. The flyer contained crossed-out photos of two of her granddaughters and demanded that they quit their jobs and leave Pennsylvania.
Another letter, sent to a different family member, accused the granddaughters of promoting Islamophobia due to their social media posts supporting Israel. The family alerted the police, the FBI, and the Anti-Defamation League. A fire was set at the grandmother’s home later that month, but firefighters were able to contain the blaze to the porch.
Surveillance footage from the home showed a small woman, later identified as Cohen, setting the fire. The footage led to Cohen’s identification and subsequent arrest. Search warrants executed at Cohen’s residence and workplace yielded further evidence linking her to the crimes. Cohen’s medical license has since been suspended and expired.