MANATEE COUNTY, Fla. – Since October, a man from Bradenton has been living his life inside of a Haitian jail. His wife, who has been living with him in Haiti for the last seven years, says her husband did nothing wrong.
Now she is back in Bradenton and pleading for help.
Danny and Leann Pye have lived in Haiti while working at an orphanage they founded. The only reason his wife Leann is back in Florida is to deliver the couple’s second child…a birth that Danny will likely not see.
“I’m frustrated and angry.” Leann Pye is emotionally drained. For months, she’s been trying to get her husband out of jail in Haiti. “It’s a roller coaster. He has good days and he has bad days.”
This roller coaster of a story all started back in October when the couple appeared before a Haitian judge to negotiate property and other assets with an organization for whom they formerly worked. “At that point, my husband was handcuffed. I was basically told it was a pressure technique to make sure we signed over the assets.”
Even after the assets were signed over, Danny was not let out.
A few months went by, and on Christmas Eve, Danny walked out of jail a free man…but then the unthinkable happened just seconds after the couple reunited. “My husband was approached again by the police officer for the judge, and we were handed arrest papers. He was basically handcuffed again and turned around and walked back inside.”
According to the arrest papers, Danny was in possession of an illegal ID card. Leanne says the American embassy and her lawyers have both told her there is nothing illegal about it. “When the judge re-arrested Danny, he broke the laws in Haiti. There has to be a secret reason, a personal reason,” says Leann.
In about a month, Leann will give birth to a son. With Danny’s ring around her neck, she knows that could be the closest her husband gets to her newborn child. She’s hopeful that her husband will make it back to Florida in time. “I’m hoping that someone who knows someone in Haiti or maybe personally knows the judge will step in.”
ABC 7 contacted several politicians from Florida on the federal level, asking if they know of Danny Pye’s imprisonment. Joe Pounder, a spokesperson for Senator Marco Rubio sent us a statement saying that the senator is aware of the case and is looking into how his office can help.
We’re also told that Congressman Vern Buchanan is aware of the situation.
Meanwhile, Leann says she has befriended some of the prison guards who allow her to sneak in to see Danny. She says she also brings him food, toiletries and plenty of water.
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COMMENT: HAITIAN-TRUTH.ORG
This is complete and total bull shit!
Not the article, or the guy’s situation, but the miserable and incompetent way in which the American Embassy has handled this situation. Or more pointedly, hasn’t handled it.
One call from that jerk Ambassador Merten to Justice Minister Denis would have our man released.
Let’s get off our asses and do something other than screw up Haiti’s elections!!!
You threaten to lift visas of Haitians, for trying to have an honest election….now let’s lift some visas for the criminal treatment of an American citizen!!!
NOW!!!!