Fun in the sun becomes 'living nightmare' as Ontario man faces 'bogus' drug charges in Dominican Republic

What had been a week of amusive successful the sun for a Burlington, Ont., mates this wintertime has turned into "a surviving nightmare." 

Jane Wilcox said she and David Bennett, arsenic good arsenic different couple, were astir to committee a formation in the Dominican Republic to caput backmost location from their abrogation when Bennett was pulled from a security-check enactment astatine Punta Cana International Airport and sent into an interrogation room.

After overmuch pleading, Wilcox said, she was allowed into the interrogation room, wherever officers showed them a representation connected a telephone of a container with a tag bearing the name "Davi — D-A-V-I — Bennett … it had the PUJ airdrome codification connected it, truthful it came into the Punta Cana airport."

Wilcox told CBC Hamilton they aboriginal recovered out the agleam yellowish container they were shown connected the telephone was "full of drugs."

While the connection obstruction made it hard to pass with the officers, Wilcox said, the mates tried to explicate that everything successful Bennett's itinerary —  his baggage, his passport, his boarding walk — each had "David R. Bennett. [We've] ne'er seen that container before."

"Through Google Translate, they [the officers] said due to the fact that of the similarities of the names, 'we request to detain him for further investigation,'" Wilcox said.

"So then, I conscionable went and sat connected him," she added. "I conscionable sat connected his lap and it was benignant of like, 'I can't go.' By then, the different mates was texting to accidental they were boarding the flight."

'You person to get maine retired of this mess'

Wilcox and Bennett some enactment astatine the aforesaid nationalist relations company. She said despite him being detained, helium urged her to caput backmost to Canada.

"Dave said, 'You person to go. You person to spell location and you person to enactment for maine from there. You person to get maine retired of this mess.

"I had similar $2 US left. We conscionable had brought them for tipping and such, truthful I gave him my 2 bucks and a charger for his phone, and gave him a large kiss," she added.

Wilcox said she adjacent heard from Bennett aft she landed astatine Toronto's Pearson International Airport.

"He sent a representation of his ain bag, the OGIO container with his YYZ tag connected it that showed David R. Bennett. He said, 'We whitethorn request this'" arsenic grounds to backmost his innocence.

On March 8, Bennett called Wilcox astir 12:30 p.m. ET.

"He said, 'I've been arrested for importing amerciable drugs and I'm successful jail, and past nighttime was the astir horrific nighttime of my life. But I'm OK and I request your help. I request you to get connected this close away. You got to link with our RCMP friends, you got to link with [Burlington MP] Karina Gould's office, you got to get a lawyer — we got to determination into action.' So that's precisely what I did," Wilcox said.

Bennett was held successful jailhouse for 3 nights and then taken to tribunal connected March 10. Wilcox said helium was granted bail for $5,000 and he's present staying astatine an Airbnb rental. 

Bennett's adjacent tribunal quality volition beryllium "a preliminary trial," but nary day has been set, Wilcox said. In the meantime, he's not allowed to permission the Dominican Republic, she said.

Wilcox said they present person ineligible representation in Canada arsenic good arsenic successful the Dominican Republic, and the lawyers are moving with authorities successful the Caribbean state arsenic they combat the charges.

'Dave is conscionable 100% innocent,' wife says

According to Wilcox, Bennett is simply a "strong assemblage member" and has ne'er been progressive successful drugs.

"Dave is conscionable 100 per cent innocent. It's conscionable intolerable to adjacent contemplate that this would happen."

Bennett was calved successful Montreal and moved to Oakville, Ont., arsenic a teenager. He's been living in Burlington for 25 years and has been playing in the Burlington Oldtimers Hockey Club for over 10 years.

"He's a stepfather to my 2 fantastic boys, Ben and Nick … and Dave's volunteered astatine Tandaga Golf Club successful the past, and helium helps retired implicit astatine Hidden Lake [Gulf Club] due to the fact that helium loves play truthful much," Wilcox said.

"He's similar the astir standup, risk-adverse feline you could ever meet. The information that he's being held connected these bogus charges is conscionable truthful against his character.

"So, until he's backmost home, we're inactive successful a surviving nightmare. It is simply a surviving nightmare — it's benignant of however I picture it each the time," Wilcox added.

Since March 8, the household has connected with Global Affairs Canada, which gave them a lawsuit number, she said. Contact was besides made with Gould, who represents the couple's national riding, Wilcox said.

Consular officials successful interaction with authorities: Global Affairs

CBC Hamilton emailed Global Affairs Canada to inquire if it was alert of Bennett being held in the Dominican Republic. The national section responded, without naming Bennett in particular, that it is alert of the apprehension of a Canadian national successful the Dominican Republic.  

"Consular officials are successful interaction with section authorities and are providing consular assistance. Due to privateness considerations, nary further accusation tin beryllium disclosed," a spokesperson wrote successful an email to CBC Hamilton.

Meanwhile, Wilcox said, Gould's bureau has been very receptive. 

"They escalated it close distant to Foreign Affairs and Mélanie Jolie's office."  

By work time, CBC News had not heard backmost aft reaching retired to Jolie's office. Amid the existent national predetermination campaign, which culminates April 28, she maintains her enactment arsenic overseas affairs minister.

Additionally, Wilcox said, the family's ineligible squad "has been successful interaction with WestJet and with YYZ [Pearson airport] to guarantee that we're getting each the grounds that we request to conscionable fundamentally show that David's ne'er been adjacent to a yellowish container successful immoderate of the travels that we took."

Wilcox has been successful nationalist relations and situation communications for 30 years, but said "this is the biggest situation I've worked connected successful my full life."

"Little did I cognize I'd beryllium having to usage my acquisition for my ain family, but present we are."

Wilcox said she's been focused connected a three-phase attack successful dealing with the arrest.

"Phase 1 was to get Dave retired of jail, which we did connected Monday, March the 10th," she said astir him achieving bail. "We're successful Phase 2 right now. Phase 2 is getting Dave location and it's proving to beryllium a precise agelong phase, but that's precisely what we're focused connected close present — getting David home.

"After that, there'll beryllium Phase 3, and that's erstwhile David is home. What happens aft that? ... we're not truly reasoning astir that truthful overmuch due to the fact that we're truthful focused connected getting him home."

Wilcox said the household has organized a fundraiser for this Friday, and has acceptable up a GiveSendGo relationship to assistance "absorb costs for our ineligible fees and each the remainder of the expenses."