A U.S. Navy veteran is now free after spending over a year in a maximum-security prison in Thailand for a crime he did not commit.
Derrick Keller was arrested in Bangkok and jailed without bail in August 2018 following accusations that he was the mastermind behind a Ponzi scheme.
Keller was charged with transnational organized crime, public cheating and fraud, and jointly committing public fraud.
Keller was suspected of the crime because of acting work he did in a series of corporate videos for Eagle Gates Group Co. Ltd, which is under investigation for fraud. He argued that he had no knowledge of the inner-workings of the company and that his association with it was merely as a part-time actor.
“Derrick has no criminal record in the United States or abroad and there is no evidence that he knowingly or intentionally participated in the charges against him,” she added.
Keller’s family appealed to U.S. politicians, including Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and Sens. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and John Cornyn (R-Texas).
“The US government’s response to his family’s appeals for assistance are consistently that they ”cannot interfere in the Thai legal process,'” Tanya Keller said.
Then, on Sept. 30, Keller was found not guilty.
“As a family, we are taking a few days to decompress and process our emotions. Derrick is looking forward to seeing his family, friends and supporters soon,” his family wrote. “Thank you for all your support and prayers.”
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