Man pleads guilty to arson at Kalamazoo Planned Parenthood clinic

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (AP) — A man who made a video describing abortion as genocide has pleaded guilty to arson for a fire at a Planned Parenthood clinic in southwestern Michigan, a prosecutor said.

Joshua Brereton, 25, of Paw Paw faces a Feb. 6, 2023, sentencing after entering the plea, U.S. Attorney Mark Totten said Wednesday. He faces five to 20 years in prison, followed by three years of supervised release.

Brereton also faces a fine of up to $250,000 and will be ordered to pay restitution, Totten said. The plea agreement estimates the amount of restitution Brereton will be ordered to pay to be more than $20,000.

"This fire was a senseless act of political violence," Totten said. "In our democracy, resorting to violence is never an acceptable means to address policy disputes. Moreover, Brereton's actions could have injured innocent citizens and first responders."

Brereton admitted that last July 31, he went to the Paw Paw Walmart where he bought a fireplace starter log and fuel, then breached a security fence at the clinic in Kalamazoo. He also set fires near the front entrance and a corner of the building and lit the starter log and threw it onto the roof of the building.