90 DAY FIANCÉ Pastor Ben Rathbun arrested for felony embezzlement from a charity
90 Day Fiancé: Before the 90 Days Season 5 star Benjamin “Pastor Ben” Rathbun is back behind bars in Michigan. The 55-year-old former reality star is currently facing a felony count of embezzlement from a non-profit or charity. The charge lists a range between $1,000 and $20,000. Ben is also being held for unpaid child support.
Ben Rathbun is currently in custody of the Oakland County Jail in Michigan. His bond for the felony embezzlement charge has been set at $10,000. The bond for the unpaid child support in another county is set at $500.
BEN RATHBUN EBEZZLEMENT ARREST DETAILS
90 Day Fiancé fans and/or Starcasm readers may recall that Ben used to serve as the Executive Director of the Michigan Lupus Foundation. He was fired from that job in March of 2022.
From Starcasm’s article about Ben’s firing:
The dismissal comes after 52-year-old Ben’s awkward on-screen pursuit of 22-year-old Peruvian girl Mahogany, and after the former pastor was arrested on a probation violation stemming from a previous OUI (operating under the influence) conviction.
‘Effective immediately, Ben Rathbun is no longer an employee of the Michigan Lupus Foundation,’ reads a statement posted on the foundation’s Facebook page on March 28.
#BeforeThe90Days Ben Rathbun was arrested for a probation violation early this morning and he's currently in jail in Michigan! 🙀 #90DayFiance
Details: https://t.co/fgCvshNsHG
🎶 I hear the train a comin',
It's rolling 'round the bend…🎶— Starcasm (@starcasm) March 15, 2022
According to court documents, Ben was arraigned on Monday. However, the charge was originally filed in October of 2018.
90 Day Fiancé blogger Shabooty broke the news of Ben’s latest arrest on Instagram, and he shared some additional information — including the reason it took so long to charge him.
“Ben has been hiding out in Peru with Mahogany,” Shabooty reports. “He just came back to the United States and they arrested him in Washington DC when his passport was flagged. He then was extradited back to Michigan from DC. That’s why it has taken 6 years for Ben to finally face justice!”
In the comments section, Shabooty reports the victim of Ben’s alleged enbezzlement is his former employer, the Michigan Lupus Foundation.
In his initial post about Ben’s arrest, Shabooty shared some information about Ben’s wife, Mahogany. “He’s still with Mahogany and apparently she was distraught over this latest arrest,” Shabooty says. “But no one in his family is willing to talk to her except one of Ben’s daughters.”
There is a probable cause conference scheduled for December 9.
BEN RATHBUN CHILD SUPPORT
It appears the felony embezzlement charge wasn’t the only thing Ben has been dodging for a while. The child support issues look to date back more than a year as well.
According to court records, a motion to show cause for contempt was filed in Ben’s divorce and child support case in October of 2023. A bench warrant was issued for Ben’s arrest in December of 2023.
Ben’s financial struggles shouldn’t come as a complete surprise for avid 90 Day Fiancé fans. He revealed during an episode of 90 Day Diaries that he was selling his blood for money.
“I’ve gone about six months without a really good job,” Ben said at the time. “Bills have been piling up, of course. Things are extremely tight right now and I’m doing everything I can just to pay the bills.”
Below is a video clip from Ben’s episode of 90 Day Diaries, which includes a video recap of Ben and Mahogany’s relationship:
UPDATE BEN RATHBUN’S HEALTH
Ben Rathbun’s mug shot photos from his 2024 arrest had many 90 Day Fiancé fans on social media expressing concern for his health.
Shabooty shared the following update on Ben’s health on X:
☕️🔥BEN UPDATE #3: The biggest question / comment is about Ben’s deteriorating health! I have answers. Ben allegedly has cirrhosis of the liver and was hospitalized in Peru. His family wanted him to get treatment in the US, so they paid for his return trip to the States out of… pic.twitter.com/u3Bh2KDMVU
— SHABOOTY 🎥: #90DayFiance 🪬 (@SHABOOTY) November 26, 2024
Asa Hawks is a writer and editor for Starcasm. You can contact Asa via Twitter, Facebook, or email at starcasmtips(at)yahoo.com
