AFFORD $2-MILLION TICKET HOME
But that is not the paramount issue for him; for McIntyre, it’s the injustice of Bennett’s predicament given his age and his life story.
The former vice-president of corporate communications for Bennett wrote to U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions: “Neither I nor Mr. Bennett’s family can comprehend what facet of justice is possibly served by killing an old man in prison who never committed a crime in his life.”
A former RCMP officer hired by Bennett’s lawyers to review the evidence, Jim Westman, also has become one of his biggest supporters.
He says there was evident acrimony between Bennett and the BEI employees over a culture of lavish spending.
Westman scoffed at Bennett’s alleged involvement: “He was stepping away from the business and he was being pretty much cut out of the loop by the people back east who had taken control of the company.”
Bennett was too “naive and too trusting,” Westman maintained. “He had lost control, didn’t know it and didn’t know people were taking advantage (of him). … He believed that the system would show he was innocent, that’s how naive and trusting he is.”
He told his client-turnedfriend: “John, reality is a little different, unfortunately.”
Bennett’s daughter Jane, a nurse at Lions Gate Hospital, agreed.
“They (two BEI employees who struck a plea bargain) lied on the stand and pointed the finger at my dad,” she fumed.
“One was his really good friend, which makes it really hard to swallow as well. They got off with a slap on the wrist, a small fine and they’re free with their millions of dollars.”
She thought her dad was coming home several months ago.
“We were told he would go to (a minimum-security facility in) Mission and that he would be initially allowed out on weekend visits and then home with a curfew,” she said. “Then we found out there was a fine, that was a crazy amount of money.”
Initially, after settlements with BEI, Bennett was told he still had roughly US$805,000 to pay.
“My mom and I managed to pool our resources and get a loan and everything, and just before we were about to send the money we found out they had jacked the price up,” Jane said.
American authorities now want US$1.988 million plus 15 per cent interest.
“We’ve contacted all the politicians and told them about it and asked for their help, but it’s kind of like everybody passes the buck — you know, ask this person, ask that person,” she explained.
“The conditions there make a Canadian prison look like an all-inclusive five-star hotel. It just seems like my dad is going to die alone in a U.S. prison and he doesn’t deserve to be there.”
Her brother and sister were estranged from their parents because of the scandal and she said she had almost lost all hope.
“We’ve done everything,” she sighed. “I just don’t …”
She struggled to control the pain.
“I wouldn’t tell my mom that, you know, because she has to have some hope. She wants daily to jump off Lions Gate Bridge.”
Bennett said he spent some US$5.5 million fighting to prove his innocence.
“Five lawyers. The lead was making $950 an hour U.S. and he said, ‘John, you better plea bargain . ... You are not going to win down here. You have a middleclass jury here that’s going to be told you are some alien who has come down here to steal from them and break their laws.’ He said I was going to get five to eight years. I honestly didn’t believe it.” He remains stupefied.
“I don’t know what to do, right now. I’m in limbo.”
Publicly humiliated, financially ruined, Bennett watches the BBC in the middle of the night or reads non-fiction books — the latest, The Creature of Jekyll Island, a conspiratorial history of the U.S. Federal Reserve.
“I’m too old to work. I’m the oldest here by at least 10 years. They won’t give me a job to do.”
Bennett has been organizing other inmates in various projects, doing anything to keep his mind busy.
“I have a meeting at five o’clock and I’m making a presentation on how we’re going to solve African poverty,” he said seriously.
Bennett explained the inmates had a plan involving Bitcoin, non-traditional financial networks and cellular technology to break the cycle of poverty.
“We all have tasks and mine is to try and get CIDA or the UN interested in supporting our initiative as I have worked for both. These inmates are the forgotten people.”
His sounded weary. He hasn’t seen family or friends for 18 months.
“I will not last another three or four years in this barbaric system,” Bennett confided. “They know I cannot pay $1.9 million; they just want to keep me here.”
His wife fears he won’t last either.
“I live with this every day, you know,” she said drying her tears. “I’m always hoping there’s going to be some light at the end of the tunnel.”
I will not last ... three or four years in this barbaric system.