Joseph Byron Martin in 2010. (Photo courtesy Andy Martin)
A 77-year-old Dresden man who fell victim to a “romance scam” and landed in a Spanish prison has been released and reunited with his family in the United States, according to a press release from U.S. Sen. Susan Collins’ office.
Joseph Byron Martin was reunited with his family Monday, June 13 after serving nearly one year of a six-year prison sentence for drug smuggling in Madrid, Spain. Martin was one of about 145 individuals that have fallen victim to what Collins called “one of the worst scams my committee has uncovered.”
The U.S. Department of State, at the urging of the U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging, helped secure his release. “It is wonderful news that Mr. Martin has finally been released from prison and will be reunited with his family,” Collins said.
“This was a truly tragic case, and I’m delighted that my staff and I were able to raise Mr. Martin’s case to the appropriate authorities and help facilitate his release,” Collins said.
In February, the U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging, chaired by Collins, held a hearing about a new “romance scam” that is turning unsuspecting seniors into drug mules.
International criminal syndicates perpetrate the scam, which involves establishing an online relationship with a senior, building trust, and asking the senior to travel internationally for seemingly plausible reasons, Collins said.
Seniors are asked to carry a package on their trip, which the criminals arrange, Collins said. The travel itinerary is often complicated, and involves traveling through several countries with multiple layovers, Collins said.
Andy Martin, Joseph Byron Martin’s son, testified at the hearing, which was the first time the scam was publicly discussed by law enforcement officials.
His father, a retired pastor, struck up an online relationship with a woman who identified herself as “Joy,” Andy Martin said in his testimony. For five years, Joy, who claimed to live in the U.K., showered his father with affection, and his father sent Joy money.
After his father remarried, he attempted to break off his relationship with Joy. “I guess at this point the scammers felt this was their last chance to use my father, so they turned him into an unwitting drug mule,” Andy Martin said.
Joy, who claimed to be in constant danger, begged his father to transport real estate papers to her in London, via South America, Andy Martin said. His father, who had made a promise to help her, agreed.
The package Joseph Byron Martin transported contained about 1.4 kilograms of cocaine. On a connecting flight to London in Spain, Joseph Byron Martin was stopped by security. He was sentenced to six years in prison in July 2015.
Following the February hearing, Collins and other ranking members of the U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging sent a letter to U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry urging him to look into the cases of senior citizens, such as Joseph Byron Martin, who have fallen victim to the scam.
On June 13, Joseph Byron Martin was released and reunited with his family. “I am blown away by the level of commitment the senator and her staff showed my father and our family throughout this ordeal,” Andy Martin said.
“I can’t say enough about those at the Department of State, especially our Embassy in Madrid, who frequently visited and cared for Dad while he was in prison,” Andy Martin said.
Sen. Susan Collins has pledged to continue to advocate for the release of other seniors who have fallen victim to romance scams.
“It is outrageous that the individuals who perpetrate these crimes against seniors like Mr. Martin are free, likely targeting more unsuspecting people, while the victims languish in foreign prisons, thousands of miles from their families,” Collins said.
“I will continue to work to ensure that law enforcement has the tools it needs to pursue these criminals. I will also continue to raise awareness so that fewer seniors will fall victim to this scam,” Collins said.
