Newlywed Canadian in Dominican jail

[questner]

They have to fight PVP (preventive imprisonment) and not P4P:mad:

I wonder if anyone has given them advice or going to contact them to hire a lawyer, try to post a bail and get the hell out of there if they still have got passports or seek other ways if not and not to rely on the guvernment


http://news.ca.msn.com/top-stories/newlywed-canadian-trapped-in-hellhole-dominican-jail-1


Jun 09, 2013 |
Vote 0 0

Hamilton men get to share same jail cell in the Dominican


MIELE
Photo provided by family
Nick and Stacey Miele on their wedding day at a resort in the Dominican Republic. Hours later, Nick and his cousin were in jail for an assault the family says had nothing to do with them.




A Stoney Creek newlywed and his younger cousin are now in the same jail cell in the Dominican Republic, but both men are very frustrated that they're still locked up.



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From wedding bells to Dominican...
Maria Costantini, the mother of 18-year-old Ben Costantini, went with her husband, Ben Sr., to visit their son and their nephew Sunday afternoon.

She arrived at the jail "dying to see" Ben, but he didn't want to talk to her for the first 15 minutes, which she attributed to his frustration.

Approximately 40 friends and family members went to witness Nick Miele, 34, marry his bride, Stacey, 31, at a resort in Punta Cana on May 27. The cousins are being detained for three months in connection with a fight that night which their family and a Burlington witness say they had nothing to do with.

Their families say the newlyweds and some friends were in a buffet room when a fight between two men erupted beside them. The strangers tumbled into Stacey, knocking her into the buffet table, and her husband went to her rescue. One of the unknown men ran off, but returned and violently assaulted the second man, before running off again.

The cousins, arrested May 28, are charged with physical aggression and have been detained under a provision that gives the state time to search for evidence.

Initially kept separated, they have been in the same cell for two days, with four other men, so now they are at least able to protect each other's clothes if one is taking a shower, Costantini said.

"They clean their clothes in the toilet," she said, adding that she's had to bring the boys new T-shirts because their old ones were stolen by cellmates.

Costantini said the boys have to pay for everything at the jail — including food and toilet paper. She keeps telling her son, who has lost 25 pounds, "eat what you want, we'll keep topping up your account."

However, if they put too much money into the account, the guards will steal it, she said, explaining that 1,000 pesos (roughly $25 Cdn) will last her son two or three days.

Costantini said her son usually wears glasses, but only brought contacts on his trip. Workers at the jail were giving him one lens at a time, but now they won't give him any until a doctor verifies that he needs them to see. He's been wearing glasses with the wrong prescription, a pair he got from the sister of Costantini's husband.

"We keep giving them hope," Costantini said, adding they're hopeful that a court date will be set for this week.

The lawyer in the Dominican Republic representing the two local men said Friday an appeal on the case has been filed, but could not say when it will be heard.

Lights go out at the jail at 10 p.m., and are back on at 7 a.m., Costantini said.

"When I'm in my room at 10 p.m., I feel guilty. I just think of my son. We're going through our own hell, but they're going through the worst."

She said she hopes they can come out of it, psychologically.

It was the first trip abroad for Ben, who was working at his uncle's stall at the Hamilton Farmers' Market.

"Wasaga Beach was as far as he got" before this, his mother said.

Her family has had a trailer at Wasaga for 12 years.

Costantini bought her son all new clothes, contacts and luggage for the Dominican Republic trip, and he only had three days of vacation before the incident that landed him in jail.

"My husband and I are not leaving till my son's out," Costantini said. "He's got such a good heart, my boy — nobody deserves this."



npaddon@thespec.com

905-526-3254 | @NatatTheSpec



http://media.zuza.com/8/e/8e4a14b9-0c89-48c4-b3cf-6a507ca5be62/B821284087Z.1_20130609223322_000_G6P10HE26.3_Content.jpg


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[donquixote]

the emassys in different countries are all and totally useless...i think their only function is to attend other embassy parties

[greydread]

the emassys in different countries are all and totally useless...i think their only function is to attend other embassy parties

...and provide cover for spies.

[JD426]

...and provide cover for spies.


U might be able to answer this..
Can you even RUN IN through the Gates, or whatever door they have.
and SCREAM " I'm an American, let me in, I need Sanctuary"...

and some American Soldier with an M-16, will STOP whoever even dares try to enter to drag your Yankee ass out, of what is essentially American Soil..

Or is that just in the movies ?
:rofl::rofl::rofl:

[hugrad95a]

I hope they run this story on every TV station in Canada.I guess this why they want tourist families.

[No Worries]

U might be able to answer this..
Can you even RUN IN through the Gates, or whatever door they have.
and SCREAM " I'm an American, let me in, I need Sanctuary"...

and some American Soldier with an M-16, will STOP whoever even dares try to enter to drag your Yankee ass out, of what is essentially American Soil..

Or is that just in the movies ?
:rofl::rofl::rofl:

I have often wondered that too.

I had a friend who wanted to get a job with the American Embassy in Rio. He said not only could he not go into the embassy unless he had an appointment, he was shocked that it was staffed by Brasilians. He was under the impression that ALL American embassies are supposed to be staffed by Americans.

[deezl]

My first thought was actually "get an attorney and file a multi-million dollar lawsuit against the resort"

Since it was the resorts (lack of) security that enabled some random party crashers in to start the fight, they would seem to be somewhat culpable.

And it wouldn't be so much to actually get money out of the resort, but to make an arrangement with the resort (who's owners/investors probably have more local pull than the freaking embassy) that the suit could be conveniently dropped if they immediately got the guy s out of jail and the charges dropped.

In a place where money talks louder than justice, I'd think that it'd be easier to 'grease the wheels' that way.

[hioctane]

My initial thought is that all this is from the perspective of the family and another Canadian. Nowhere did it say where these "strangers" came from. These resorts are pretty secure. Most likely they were other registered guests. To believe the guys were angels when this is a wedding event and liquor flows at resorts is a bot unreliastic. All I'm saying is that there are 3 sides to every story and this is one of them. There isn't enough to pass judgment one way or another.

[greydread]

U might be able to answer this..
Can you even RUN IN through the Gates, or whatever door they have.
and SCREAM " I'm an American, let me in, I need Sanctuary"...

and some American Soldier with an M-16, will STOP whoever even dares try to enter to drag your Yankee ass out, of what is essentially American Soil..

Or is that just in the movies ?
:rofl::rofl::rofl:

If you're a federal employee or contractor with a security clearance all you have to do is show your HSPD-12 (gov't ID) and you're in. Otherwise you're fucked. They held a plane on the runway for me at SDQ for 40 minutes one trip because some Dominican airport security fuck picked the wrong Gringo to fuck with. I wouldn't board until the shift supervisor admonished him in my presence. I never saw him there again, he's probably patrolling the Haiti border now. I had NEST clearance. Now I'm just a regular Gringo and have to keep a couple $1KRD notes handy just in case of shit. :(

[ROVER]

Here's a more detailed article on the story.


Newlywed Canadian trapped in 'hellhole' Dominican jail


Nick Miele and his cousin Ben Constantini are facing months behind bars in Punta Cana

By Adam Carter, CBC News (http://www.cbc.ca/news/credit.html)

Posted: Jun 11, 2013 11:39 AM ET

Last Updated: Jun 11, 2013 2:41 PM ET

Read 266 comments266 (http://www.cbc.ca/hamilton/news/story/2013/06/11/hamilton-dominican-republic-wedding-arrest.html#socialcomments)
http://www.cbc.ca/gfx/images/news/photos/2013/06/11/hi-dominican-wedding-852-8col.jpg Stacey Vernon and her new husband, Nick Miele, just hours before he was arrested after a fight at the Bahia Principe Esmeralda resort in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic. (Courtesy Vernon family)


















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A newlywed Ontario bride is frantically trying to free her husband and his cousin from a Dominican Republic jail "hellhole"— and she says she's left doing it with next to no help from the Canadian government.
“I was with Nick maybe eight hours before they took him from me,” Stacey Vernon, 31, told CBC News in Hamilton. “It's awful. We saved every penny to make this a wonderful experience and now we can't even look at our wedding photos.”
Nick Miele, 34, and his 18-year-old cousin Ben Constantini, both of Stoney Creek, Ont., have been behind bars since the early morning hours of May 28 — just hours after Miele and Vernon said “I do” at the Bahia Principe Esmeralda resort in Punta Cana.
Miele is facing months in jail after a fight erupted on his wedding night that his bride says he had no part in.
'I've been very angry because I feel so helpless.'—Stacey Vernon, wife
The trouble started in the 24-hour buffet line around 2:30 a.m., after the reception had wound down. Vernon was in line with one of her friends. “We were talking about the nacho cheese and how they must water it down — and the next thing I knew I was bashed into the buffet table.”
A fight had broken out between two men not in the wedding party, and they fell into Vernon while she was waiting in line. She hit her head on the glass above the buffet and had the wind knocked out of her when she hit the floor. But the men didn't stop fighting.
“I had bruises all over the place because I was getting kicked and punched with them on top of me.”
Her new husband hauled the men off her and got her to safety, getting some blood on him in the process. One of the men violently assaulted the other, she says, before jumping the resort fence. Resort staff carted off the injured man.
Vernon's wedding party stayed to give statements to the police, and Miele and Constantini were arrested, she says.
“They were treated from this day forward as if they were criminals,” she said.
The Dominican Republic Tourist Police did not return repeated requests for comment.

Canadian government 'little to no help,' wife says

The two Canadians had a preliminary trial on May 30, where they were sentenced to three months in jail — a “holding time” while the Dominican authorities carry out their investigation. The family was shocked and called the Canadian government for help, but none has been forthcoming, Vernon said.

“Our embassy and our government have been little to no help,” she said. The Canadian Embassy gave them a list of private lawyers in the area they might contact, but added that the “list is provided for convenience and information purposes only” and that they accept “no responsibility for results.”
http://www.cbc.ca/gfx/images/news/photos/2013/06/11/ii-ben-domincan-wedding-300.jpgNick Miele's cousin, Ben Costantini of Stoney Creek, Ont., is also in jail in the Dominican Republic. (Courtesy Vernon family)“You might as well get one off the street,” Vernon said. “I've been very angry because I feel so helpless.”
A representative from Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada told Vernon that the department would help ensure the men get a fair trial. No one from Foreign Affairs showed up at their hearing on May 30.
Barbara Harvey, a spokesperson for Canadian Foreign Affairs, told CBC News that consular officials are in contact with local authorities to “gather additional information” and are in “ongoing contact with the family.”
“However, to protect the private and personal information of the individuals concerned, further details on this case cannot be released,” Harvey said.
According to the Consular Standards website (http://travel.gc.ca/about/assistance/consular/standards), the government's ability to "obtain solutions" when problems arise for Canadians abroad often depend on the laws and regulations of other countries.
Vernon accused the government of hiding behind the guise of privacy when that is not a concern of the family. “We have nothing to hide,” she said. “They're basically washing their hands of us.”
Foreign Affairs cited “privacy concerns” last month as well when asked about the search for Prabhdeep Srawn (http://www.cbc.ca/hamilton/news/story/2013/05/24/hamilton-prabhdeep-srawn-missing-australia.html), the Hamilton man who is still missing in Australia's Snowy Mountains. In that case as well, the family stated they had no privacy concerns, despite what officials said.
'They sharpen tools in front of them'

Vernon said Miele and Constantini have been suffering in deplorable conditions in three different prisons.

“They're sitting in feces — it's just horrendous,” she said. “This prison is full of mass murderers and drug peddlers.
“They sharpen tools in front of them on the bars.”
The family has to pay for food and toiletries. Vernon said her husband has dropped 20 pounds since being jailed and is suffering mentally. He witnessed a prisoner being stabbed four times in the prison cafeteria and an 18-year old guard accidently shot himself in the foot when playing with his rifle, she said.
“It's a hellhole.”

Miele and Constantini are still waiting for their next court date, but the family is hoping their lawyer can have the case thrown out before then. Vernon and members of her family are still in Punta Cana hoping for good news.
She and her husband have yet to spend a night together as husband and wife.
“I haven't even had the chance to change my last name,” she said.


I hope after these guys pay the extortion money and get out they do the television circuit back in Canada and give a different kind of Dominican Vacation commercial.

Maybe then the Dominican government will intervene to stop this legalized kidnapping for extortion bullshit.

[No Worries]

I wonder why the wedding party didn't go to the hospital, pick up the man who was injured in the attack and take him to the police station so he could swear that the husband and cousin had nothing to do with it.

The one thing the wife is doing correctly is "making noise" about the situation. Sitting there quietly and waiting will not solve anything. I would have whipped out my iphone and recorded an interview with the injured man and then uploaded it to a Canadian news channel. Then I would make daily podcasts saying how I am getting no help at all. You have to embarrass the Canadian gov into getting off their asses and making some phone calls.

Lesson learned from this and other stories on this board? If you are in a fight in the DR. Throw some punches and then take off running!!! Get out of there as fast as possible, do not stop and collect 200 dollars!!

[JD426]

quite Frankly I dont believe the Husbands story.. His wife just got assaulted at the buffet line (she was a victim , yes) . and he what ? , "gently" pulled the guys who were fighting off of her, while she was knocked OUT on the floor, and then just happened to get some of their blood on him ?
You know he got into it with them, and thats all it takes to get your ass taken to jail, not that he was wrong for defending his new wifes honor .. but as was said, they should have LEFT on the spot, checked OUT. But since they thought they were in the right, they stayed there... bad move.. sorry..
and sorry it happened to them. but they do things different down there.
They dont go by "who started it", they go by "who was involved"..

[No Worries]

but as was said, they should have LEFT on the spot, checked OUT. But since they thought they were in the right, they stayed there... bad move.. sorry..
and sorry it happened to them. but they do things different down there.
They dont go by "who started it", they go by "who was involved"..


We know that because of our travels but the average tourist would have no idea that is the case. As tourists we bring our countries legal system with us, thinking that the DR will operate the same way. LOL!!! Only after reading this board did I learn that is best to take off like a runaway slave if I am involved in any fisticuffs!!

[JD426]

We know that because of our travels but the average tourist would have no idea that is the case. As tourists we bring our countries legal system with us, thinking that the DR will operate the same way. LOL!!! Only after reading this board did I learn that is best to take off like a runaway slave if I am involved in any fisticuffs!!

Yeagh, you know that.. You need an OUT, like DeNiro in the Movie HEAT... But even HE fucked it up ,cause he just had to go get him some last minute Revenge...
Swallow your Pride, Lose whatever $$ it costs, and get the fuck out, thats the best policy, and if you got people in the barrio /or "campo" in this case (since Punta Cana aint Santo Domingo) who can Hide you, thats even better, next day you can take a small plane to like Puerto Rico, and then make your way to the usa easily from there . No fucking way you want to spend time in jail for some stupid shit like this. 3 months out of your life you will never get back.
we just talking THEORY here,, hope we never have to do it for real, but definitely something to be learned here.. If they gonna fuck with Newlyweds, they definitely would lock our Drunk Monger asses up for sure..

[MrHappy]

Yeagh, you know that.. You need an OUT, like DeNiro in the Movie HEAT... But even HE fucked it up ,cause he just had to go get him some last minute Revenge...
Swallow your Pride, Lose whatever $$ it costs, and get the fuck out, thats the best policy, and if you got people in the barrio who can Hide you, thats even better, next day you can take a small plane to like Puerto Rico, and then make your way to the usa easily from there . No fucking way you want to spend time in jail for some stupid shit like this. 3 months out of your life you will never get back.
we just talking THEORY here,, hope we never have to do it for real, but definitely something to be learned here.. If they gonna fuck with Newlyweds, they definitely would lock our Drunk Monger asses up for sure..


Better to be a live chicken than a dead rooster.....:ilike::ilike:

[eastcoastallstar]

My first thought was actually "get an attorney and file a multi-million dollar lawsuit against the resort"

Since it was the resorts (lack of) security that enabled some random party crashers in to start the fight, they would seem to be somewhat culpable.

And it wouldn't be so much to actually get money out of the resort, but to make an arrangement with the resort (who's owners/investors probably have more local pull than the freaking embassy) that the suit could be conveniently dropped if they immediately got the guy s out of jail and the charges dropped.

In a place where money talks louder than justice, I'd think that it'd be easier to 'grease the wheels' that way.

This is probably the best course of action, especially if they are a United States based company or booking agency!

[eldorob]

Don't believe everything you read on this. There's a gazillion post thread on DR1 about this. I read the whole blasted thing.

Here's the rundown as it "appears" at this time:
inside an AI, a bump and words in one of the bars
Later at the late nite snack bar, more words and fists with same guys, bride gets knocked down, bangs head on table
Groom jumps in throwing punches
18 y.o. cousin of groom winds up with a round house kick to somebodys head
Guy goes down with concussion, rushed to hospital, then flown home to canadian hospital
Cops come in, get stories from everybody, arrest groom and the 18 y.o.

The famly seems like trailer trash. One thing the brides father did is get in the face of some Dominican official and tell him to leave (the jail). They're not making a lot friends. Trashing the DR, legal system, cops, officials, AI's, etc etc. Wouldn't take offers from help from some DR1'rs that probably could have helped them get a settlement. Now they're f'kd.

[Kevy]

The latest CBC story is they were out of control too

Two Canadian men who have been imprisoned in the Dominican Republic threw punches in a post-wedding brawl last month, court documents say.
Nick Miele, 34, and his cousin, Ben Constantini, 18, both of Stoney Creek, Ont., have been behind bars since the early- morning hours of May 28 — just hours after Miele and Stacey Vernon were married at the Bahia Principe Esmeralda resort in Punta Cana.


READ MORE: Newlywed Canadian trapped in 'hellhole' Dominican jail (http://www.cbc.ca/hamilton/news/story/2013/06/11/hamilton-dominican-republic-wedding-arrest.html)

Vernon says her husband and his cousin were thrown in jail unjustly after a fight broke out on their resort between two Canadian men they didn't know.
Canadian Consular Affairs says one of the two men was seriously injured.
But according to a written statement by the wife of the seriously injured man — a statement found in Dominican Republic court documents — both Miele and Constantini were involved in the fight.
“I saw some people jump on my husband,” the statement reads. “[Miele] hit my husband and another person — the other guy was pushing him. He was on the ground. I was telling them to stop hitting him.”
The injured man sustained trauma to the head, bruising and some superficial injuries, according to a medical report attached to the court documents, signed May 30.
The Canadian government will not divulge the identities of either of the two other men, citing privacy concerns. Vernon said as far as she knows, the injured man left for Canada on May 30.
Fight was shocking, witness saysBut these weren't the only Canadians on the resort that night. Jennifer Schanck from Burlington, Ont., was there too, and says she saw some of the fight.

'Then from behind me, from out of nowhere, this guy is screaming in what sounded like Russian. He just flew in and drop-kicked this other guy. It was unbelievable. I thought he was dead.'—Jennifer Schnack, Burlington, Ont., resident in the Dominican“I was just shocked at what happened,” Schanck told CBC Hamilton.
The fight broke out on her first night on the resort, and she could hear it happening as she approached the beach bar, she says.


READ MORE: Government accused of failing Ontario men jailed in Dominican (http://www.cbc.ca/hamilton/news/story/2013/06/12/hamilton-dominican-republic-arrest-consular-affairs.html)

“We could hear people screaming, and dishes were breaking,” she said.
She said she saw Miele “defending himself from this guy who had fallen on his wife.” She says she did not see Constantini.
“Then from behind me, from out of nowhere, this guy is screaming in what sounded like Russian,” she said. “He just flew in and drop-kicked this other guy. It was unbelievable. I thought he was dead.”
She says there were about 30 to 40 people in the area at the time.
“All the staff just stood there and watched. It was horrific,” she said.
Schanck said the injured man's wife seemed intoxicated at the time of the fight, and that she had never met any of the people involved.
“That incident will never leave my mind,” she said.
Repeated requests for comment from both local police and the Bahia Principe Esmeralda resort in Punta Cana were not returned.
'Advocating for fairness and due process'In a statement, Minister of State of Foreign Affairs (Americas and Consular Affairs) Diane Ablonczy told CBC Hamilton that the Canadian government is working with Miele's family, their lawyer and local authorities.
She says the federal government is “advocating for fairness and due process for both Canadian parties involved.”
“While guilt or innocence has not yet been determined, Dominican officials assure us they are investigating as per their own sovereign laws in order for justice to be properly served,” she said.
According to court documents, Miele and Constantini are being held for a three-month period so authorities can gather evidence and because they are considered a flight risk.

Related Stories

[Kevy]

Don't believe everything you read on this. There's a gazillion post thread on DR1 about this. I read the whole blasted thing.

Here's the rundown as it "appears" at this time:
inside an AI, a bump and words in one of the bars
Later at the late nite snack bar, more words and fists with same guys, bride gets knocked down, bangs head on table
Groom jumps in throwing punches
18 y.o. cousin of groom winds up with a round house kick to somebodys head
Guy goes down with concussion, rushed to hospital, then flown home to canadian hospital
Cops come in, get stories from everybody, arrest groom and the 18 y.o.

The famly seems like trailer trash. One thing the brides father did is get in the face of some Dominican official and tell him to leave (the jail). They're not making a lot friends. Trashing the DR, legal system, cops, officials, AI's, etc etc. Wouldn't take offers from help from some DR1'rs that probably could have helped them get a settlement. Now they're f'kd.


This is the family type of tourists they want in Sosua instead of those dirty mongers:rofl::rofl::rofl:

[psriches]

ALCOHOL involved?? But of course.

[steviewonder]

Don't believe everything you read on this. There's a gazillion post thread on DR1 about this. I read the whole blasted thing.
The family seems like trailer trash. One thing the brides father did is get in the face of some Dominican official and tell him to leave (the jail). They're not making a lot friends. Trashing the DR, legal system, cops, officials, AI's, etc etc. Wouldn't take offers from help from some DR1'rs that probably could have helped them get a settlement. Now they're f'kd.


More then the bride/groom did on thier wedding night:wink:

[weyland]

Don't believe everything you read on this.


an 18-year old guard accidently shot himself in the foot when playing with his rifle, she said.

I believe that bit. That is the DR I know and love.

[questner]

Yeagh, you know that.. You need an OUT, like DeNiro in the Movie HEAT... But even HE fucked it up ,cause he just had to go get him some last minute Revenge...
Swallow your Pride, Lose whatever $$ it costs, and get the fuck out, thats the best policy, and if you got people in the barrio /or "campo" in this case (since Punta Cana aint Santo Domingo) who can Hide you, thats even better, next day you can take a small plane to like Puerto Rico, and then make your way to the usa easily from there . No fucking way you want to spend time in jail for some stupid shit like this. 3 months out of your life you will never get back.
we just talking THEORY here,, hope we never have to do it for real, but definitely something to be learned here.. If they gonna fuck with Newlyweds, they definitely would lock our Drunk Monger asses up for sure..

:iconTU: Please share details..

Folks get no pussy in resorts and get into fights. :boxing:

Also, it won't cost anything to put a relevant warning in travel.gc.ca and issue a pdf pamphlet with instructions of what to do in such cases.