Michael's Legal Fees & More
Our son Michael has been living his dream. He has been traveling the world, working and site seeing along the way. He spent a year in New Zealand on a work visa which allowed him to work there to live and visit amazing places. When his visa was up he had to leave the country. This was an issue because his work visa for Australia was not yet granted, so he decided to visit several Asian countries while waiting.
He was not traveling the world as a tourist, he was working and traveling, backpacking, living in hostels, and sharing flats with a half dozen other people - he even lived in a tent for about 3 months during the New Zealand summer. His Australian work visa was approved about 3 months after leaving New Zealand, but he decided to finish the tour of the rest of the Asain countries before he went on to Australia.
In Asia he had visited Thailand, Taiwan, Singapore, Vietnam, Cambodia, South Korea, The DMZ, Japan and Malaysia. He backpacked the country sides, he met people along the way. In Vietnam, he told us that people were so happy and all they had was "Family, a moped, and a smile", he really was having an experience while stepping out of his culture (he had sold all his possesions down to a backpack, how many of us would even consider doing that?).
While in Malaysia, something went wrong. We first realized this when we saw a facebook post that resembled a last statement late on Saturday Dec 30th (their Morning of Dec 31st). I immediately contacted him and managed to speak with him for a short moment, he was very incoherent, paranoid, and felt he was targeted to be killed. Through many facebook messages and phone calls, we determined he was impaired, not thinking clearly. I was able to find 1 person I knew who lived in Kuala Lumpur, but she was out of the country. However, she was able to contact a wonderful Chrsitan couple that went out looking for him. They found where he was, but they were late by no more than 30 minutes. He had already been arrested and taken to jail on drug charges.
We have heard from many of the friends he has made while traveling, all expressing concern over the news of trouble in Malaysia. All of them are completely surprised at what appears to have happened being so out of character as something Michael would do. In the meantime, we have found a Christian organization that has room to help him recover during the legal resolution in Malaysia.
We have retained a lawyer and have been informed that he is being charged with consumption and possesion (small amount found on him). Bail was denied at the first hearing and he was sent to Sungai Bukloh Prison - Malaysia's largest and worst prison, to await his next court hearing.
Unfortunately cost is going to be high and he does not have this kind of money. We will certainly do what we can as parents, but are a 1 income household. Michael's dad works, while I stay at home and homeschool our 2 youngest children. We have had many requests from those Michael has met as well as family friends asking how they can help and if they could donate to a GoFundMe. Bail, Fines, Lawyer cost, and cost of housing him while he awaits trial are all going to be high. At the moment we are estimating cost to be somewhere around $6000, we will update more as we find out new details.
If you have a few dollars and are able to help we would apprecaite any thing you can do. Thank you all.
**Please note I myself, his Mother Kathie Crouse, will be withdrawing these funds and using them for Michael's help - he has NO way to use these funds himself, he is remanded in prison at this moment in a foreign country.
He was not traveling the world as a tourist, he was working and traveling, backpacking, living in hostels, and sharing flats with a half dozen other people - he even lived in a tent for about 3 months during the New Zealand summer. His Australian work visa was approved about 3 months after leaving New Zealand, but he decided to finish the tour of the rest of the Asain countries before he went on to Australia.
In Asia he had visited Thailand, Taiwan, Singapore, Vietnam, Cambodia, South Korea, The DMZ, Japan and Malaysia. He backpacked the country sides, he met people along the way. In Vietnam, he told us that people were so happy and all they had was "Family, a moped, and a smile", he really was having an experience while stepping out of his culture (he had sold all his possesions down to a backpack, how many of us would even consider doing that?).
While in Malaysia, something went wrong. We first realized this when we saw a facebook post that resembled a last statement late on Saturday Dec 30th (their Morning of Dec 31st). I immediately contacted him and managed to speak with him for a short moment, he was very incoherent, paranoid, and felt he was targeted to be killed. Through many facebook messages and phone calls, we determined he was impaired, not thinking clearly. I was able to find 1 person I knew who lived in Kuala Lumpur, but she was out of the country. However, she was able to contact a wonderful Chrsitan couple that went out looking for him. They found where he was, but they were late by no more than 30 minutes. He had already been arrested and taken to jail on drug charges.
We have heard from many of the friends he has made while traveling, all expressing concern over the news of trouble in Malaysia. All of them are completely surprised at what appears to have happened being so out of character as something Michael would do. In the meantime, we have found a Christian organization that has room to help him recover during the legal resolution in Malaysia.
We have retained a lawyer and have been informed that he is being charged with consumption and possesion (small amount found on him). Bail was denied at the first hearing and he was sent to Sungai Bukloh Prison - Malaysia's largest and worst prison, to await his next court hearing.
Unfortunately cost is going to be high and he does not have this kind of money. We will certainly do what we can as parents, but are a 1 income household. Michael's dad works, while I stay at home and homeschool our 2 youngest children. We have had many requests from those Michael has met as well as family friends asking how they can help and if they could donate to a GoFundMe. Bail, Fines, Lawyer cost, and cost of housing him while he awaits trial are all going to be high. At the moment we are estimating cost to be somewhere around $6000, we will update more as we find out new details.
If you have a few dollars and are able to help we would apprecaite any thing you can do. Thank you all.
**Please note I myself, his Mother Kathie Crouse, will be withdrawing these funds and using them for Michael's help - he has NO way to use these funds himself, he is remanded in prison at this moment in a foreign country.
Organizer
Kathie Hess Crouse
Organizer
Buffalo, WV