On what might have been one of his last days of freedom on Thursday, Roy Payne took a stroll with his wife of 50 years. Next Monday, the 80-year-old honorably accused drug trafficker will stand trial in Fort Worth.
What Happened?
He had no prior criminal history, and according to both his family and lawyer, he was the victim of an international drug gang scam operation. The two-times-divorced father of three grandchildren was detained and accused of trafficking methamphetamine in February.
It’s just insane. His son, Darryl Payne, stated, “Knowing his background as a Vietnam veteran and the life he’s lived…it’s absolutely shocking and flabbergasting to me.
If his father is guilty of anything, according to him, it’s being an innocent victim of con artists who are increasingly utilizing senior citizens as human shields to carry drugs. Darryl Payne stated, “He receives these sporadic phone calls from con artists. He receives communications via Facebook or WhatsApp.
Roy Payne was a flight engineer in the Air Force for the duration of the Vietnam War and for 15 years after. Unbeknownst to his family, he recently began falling for a variety of schemes that demanded payment in exchange for additional funds.
His son remarked, “To my knowledge, he’s handed over an awful lot of money.”And as a result, fraud increased. The 80-year-old was frequently informed that he was the winner of international lotteries, and earlier this year, he was persuaded to fly to Mexico City to complete paperwork before going to Japan to claim his prize.
Roy Payne was searched at DFW Airport upon his return to the country, however, and police discovered seven pounds of meth concealed inside luggage.
Accused Of Drugs Trafficking
Source: CNN
He was then charged with narcotics trafficking, and when he goes on trial on Monday, he could spend up to six and a half years behind bars. Darryl Payne said, “We believe it’s a life sentence; that’s no place for an 80-year-old.
A program to dismantle international drug trafficking gangs has caught elderly Americans, some of whom are as old as 97, in its crosshairs, according to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
One-way tickets to trafficking hotspots will be flagged by federal officials, and Roy Payne’s family believes that agents were waiting to search and detain him when he passed through DFW Airport.
