FL FL - Isabella Hellmann, 41, catamaran off Cay Sal, FL Keys,14 May 2017 #2 *GUILTY*

[JerseyGirl]

The magistrate twice asked Bennett if he needed a public defender or if he could afford his own lawyer. Twice he said he could.

Bennett had entered the court 15 minutes before the brief hearing, escorted by a U.S. Marshal and dressed in blue and white jail garb, his hair and beard cropped short. He mostly looked straight ahead, once or twice glancing at reporters. During the hearing, he also mostly looked ahead, looking at the judge when questioned.

On Tuesday, the judge did not say if the case would be moved for convenience out of Key West, where it was filed because the stolen coins were discovered when the Coast Guard deposited the rescued Bennett in Marathon. No officials were available to speak to reporter afterward.

http://www.mypalmbeachpost.com/news...red-held-without-bond/VP6nya2OQJxyoSMN37wNcO/

 

[bears10]

I know I've said this way too many times, but I'm still curious what website they met on. He seems like the kind of guy who is an online scammer and charms innocent, love seeking, women to use for his own benefit.

I forgot a lot of the details regarding LBs claims about his past. Do we know the name of the yacht he claims he bought with the large "inheritance" he received? The one he supposedly used to charter people around the world? Wondering if that was just another one of his lies, and he was really just the first mate on someone else's boat.

 

[MelmothTheLost]

I wonder what kind of gold coins the 162 they found in his closet were. It doesn't sound like they were 1oz bullion coins since they said the value of them was less than $30,000.

Krugerrands, US eagles and Britannias are minted in 1/10th of an ounce, so in theory about $130 each at present, but there is a huge premium on such tiny coins so expect to pay $160+ for them.

Canada mints Maple leaves down to 1/20th ounce and Gibraltar mints 1/25th oz gold coins.

It's not really cost effective to invest in such small coins because of the premium, but if you're building a coin collection you'd probably want one of each weight minted.

 

[MelmothTheLost]

Right. They moved to the U.K. But he came back and got arrested. Did he bring the baby on the trip with him? Now that he is in jail I hold her family gets the baby.

If the baby is in the UK that's almost certainly where she will remain. She won't be extradited to live with grandparents in the US when she has grandparents in the UK with an equal claim to her.

 

[whitelilac]

If the baby is in the UK that's almost certainly where she will remain. She won't be extradited to live with grandparents in the US when she has grandparents in the UK with an equal claim to her.

Isabella's parents and sister will no doubt petition for visitation at the least. Because of the distance I'd think that they'd get visitation for extended periods of time....summers, holidays etc, if custody should remain with the UK parents. After my divorce, that was the case with our daughter (visitations with her father in another country) even though I had custody.

 

[bears10]

If the baby is in the UK that's almost certainly where she will remain. She won't be extradited to live with grandparents in the US when she has grandparents in the UK with an equal claim to her.

Do you have a source for that, especially that his family has equal claim to the baby? I am only going off of my instinct and emotion, but if Isabella's family pursues legal action, I think it would make more sense in the eyes of the law for the baby to reside in the country in which she was born, with the family she has been raised around, instead of a different country with her father's family, considering the father is an alleged criminal. I guess it would come down to which jurisdiction rules in this case.

Hopefully Isabella had a will stating her wishes for her daughter.

 

[whitelilac]

Do you have a source for that, especially that his family has equal claim to the baby? I am only going off of my instinct and emotion, but if Isabella's family pursues legal action, I think it would make more sense in the eyes of the law for the baby to reside in the country in which she was born, with the family she has been raised around, instead of a different country with her father's family, considering the father is an alleged criminal. I guess it would come down to which jurisdiction rules in this case.

Hopefully Isabella had a will stating her wishes for her daughter.

I believe that jurisdiction would be in the country where legal action would be initiated. At least that was the case with my situation.
I hope the US relatives take immediate action.

 

[chinacat67]

Indeed. But even if they were not insured you might still report the theft to the police in case they ever turned up again.

RSBM. That was her point...the owner reported theft to police but not to insurance because coins weren't separately scheduled, so wouldn't be covered, so why make a claim to insurance. But the point being, the coins WERE reported stolen to the police in SXM.

Also, I presume the coins weren't for collecting but for their lack of traceability when spending...so what they are specifically is a curiosity but not pertinent, IMO.







Sent from my SM-G935V using Tapatalk

 

[JerseyGirl]

Do you have a source for that, especially that his family has equal claim to the baby? I am only going off of my instinct and emotion, but if Isabella's family pursues legal action, I think it would make more sense in the eyes of the law for the baby to reside in the country in which she was born, with the family she has been raised around, instead of a different country with her father's family, considering the father is an alleged criminal. I guess it would come down to which jurisdiction rules in this case.

Hopefully Isabella had a will stating her wishes for her daughter.

I thought the same thing. The baby is a US citizen and he technically took her out of the country, abandoned her there with 'family', and he is now in US custody.

I think her family would/should have a claim to the baby.

 

[darring21]

I believe that jurisdiction would be in the country where legal action would be initiated. At least that was the case with my situation.
I hope the US relatives take immediate action.

If the baby is in the UK, it would take a court action in the UK to cede custody to the US family. A US court does not have jurisdiction in the UK.

For instance, when Elian Gonzalez' mother died, he didn't get sent back to Cuba because a Cuban court ordered it. It was a U.S. court that determined he belonged with his father in Cuba.

If the baby's father is a UK citizen, the baby would be dual citizen of the U.S. and U.K.

 

[Gardener1850]

I thought the same thing. The baby is a US citizen and he technically took her out of the country, abandoned her there with 'family', and he is now in US custody.

I think her family would/should have a claim to the baby.

I'm not doubting you, but how do we know she is a U.S. citizen? Was she for sure born in Florida? Also, she might have dual citizenship with the US and either her father's countries of citizenship (UK & Australia) or her mother's country of origin (Columbia).

I feel so bad for her and all her grandparents/extended family. AFAIK, none of them caused this mess with her parents. JMO, she shouldn't have to grow up isolated from either side of her family just because her mother is gone and her father is arrested. Hopefully the two sides can work out something so that as she grows up she at least has a relationship with all her family members who love her.

 

[JerseyGirl]

 

[bears10]

If the baby is in the UK, it would take a court action in the UK to cede custody to the US family. A US court does not have jurisdiction in the UK.

For instance, when Elian Gonzalez' mother died, he didn't get sent back to Cuba because a Cuban court ordered it. It was a U.S. court that determined he belonged with his father in Cuba.

If the baby's father is a UK citizen, the baby would be dual citizen of the U.S. and U.K.

Wait if my parents are UK citizens but I was born in the US I would by default be a UK citizen as well as a US citizen?

 

[Gardener1850]

Wait if my parents are UK citizens but I was born in the US I would by default be a UK citizen as well as a US citizen?

You can have dual citizenship, yes. You would get 2 passports, one from each country.

 

[bears10]

You can have dual citizenship, yes. You would get 2 passports, one from each country.

Good to know. That's surprising but I guess I'm just used to the strict immigration laws in the US.

I'm still not sure that other than LBs own Facebook post if it was confirmed he actually went back to the U.K. Does anyone remember? Idk it just seems really foolish of him to come back to the US. Wish LE would let us in on more details regarding the actual arrest.

 

[Gardener1850]

Good to know. That's surprising but I guess I'm just used to the strict immigration laws in the US.

I'm still not sure that other than LBs own Facebook post if it was confirmed he actually went back to the U.K. Does anyone remember? Idk it just seems really foolish of him to come back to the US. Wish LE would let us in on more details regarding the actual arrest.

Not ALL countries allow dual citizenship but I'm pretty sure the UK does. I know many people with Dual citizenship. There are some countries where they can only travel to on their US passport (people from their other country are banned or have to pay higher fees for entry) and some countries where they will show their other passport to get in with less hassle because US citizens have been warned against going there. It all depends on the politics/history of the place they are going.

 

[MsArk]

LOUIS BENNETT BEING HELD WITHOUT BOND

The husband of a Delray Beach real-estate agent missing at sea will be held without bond on an unrelated charge, a judge ruled Tuesday.

Lewis Bennett will have a bond hearing Friday afternoon on charges that he stole more than $100,000 in coins from a boat in the Caribbean on which he was first mate. His arraignment will be Sept. 11.

http://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/b...red-held-without-bond/vIHzUj8ZfEAeBTfaVrusfO/

I'm just now seeing this development of an arrest! Wowwow!

Do we know the unrelated charge for which there is no bail? Are there charges in addition to the theft of the coins?
TIA!

 

[bears10]

Not ALL countries allow dual citizenship but I'm pretty sure the UK does. I know many people with Dual citizenship.

I'm not surprised at dual citizenship.. I'm aware many people have dual citizenship, my boss included. I'm surprised that one is a dual citizen just because their parent(s) are U.K. citizen(s). I figured you'd have to apply for citizenship in the U.K. Even if your parents are citizens.

 

[whitelilac]

Not ALL countries allow dual citizenship but I'm pretty sure the UK does. I know many people with Dual citizenship. There are some countries where they can only travel to on their US passport (people from their other country are banned or have to pay higher fees for entry) and some countries where they will show their other passport to get in with less hassle because US citizens have been warned against going there. It all depends on the politics/history of the place they are going.

This is true. I have triple citizenship and when I enter an EU country, I enter with my EU passport because it's so much quicker to go through immigration.
Regarding UK citizenship and the EU, I don't know what the status will be when Brexit is finalized, or what the situation is in the interim.

If Bennet has included the child on his passport, and UK citizens can still freely enter EU countries, the child could also enter. However, I imagine it's unlikely the the child could travel without her father.

 

[Gardener1850]

I'm not surprised at dual citizenship, I'm surprised that one is a dual citizen just because their parent(s) are U.K. citizen(s). I figured you'd have to apply for citizenship in the U.K. Even if your parents are citizens.

I don't know what the process entails but they would have to apply for a UK passport for her. I don't know if they did, just saying it is possible she has dual citizenship. Same applies to Australia since LB has dual citizenship with UK and Australia. Every country has different laws, of course.