Two Ohio brothers facing criminal charges in Dubai are pleading for help, claiming they were set up and possibly drugged during a night out that ended with them waking up in the back of a police car following a yacht party.
U.S. Air Force veteran Joseph Lopez and his brother Joshua originally went to the United Arab Emirates to film content for their social media platform but have been trapped in Dubai for nearly two months since the debacle. They joined “Fox & Friends First” to discuss their plea for help as they face years behind bars if convicted.
AFTER BEING STRANDED FOR MONTHS DUE TO AN ALTERCATION, HOUSTON WOMAN LEAVES DUBAI
“They’re aware of the situation,” Joseph said Friday when asked if the State Department knew of their case. “They pretty much just keep telling my family and friends that are emailing them like… ‘We’re keeping tabs on it.’ But that’s not what we need. Our lives are at stake here. Like the amount of years in prison that these charges can give us… It could be this could ruin our lives.”
“We need everybody’s help. We need our politicians’ help. We need our country’s help,” he continued.
The pair were leaving a nightclub on June 2 when an Uber driver offered to take them to an “afterparty” at a hotel in the area, according to Detained in Dubai.
Joseph Lopez and his brother Joshua joined ‘Fox & Friends First’ on Friday to discuss the night they were arrested and why they are seeking help from the U.S. government. (‘Fox & Friends First’ screengrab)
“They took us in. They escorted us to the VIP section, where they brought us a whole bunch of stuff we didn’t ask for. Platters of food, hookahs, a bottle, but… I was just like, ‘OK, I’m in Dubai. I’m going to go with it, have some fun.’ And this place is supposed to be open for a few hours, and after about 20 minutes, it closed.”
Shortly after the party ended, the brothers were approached by someone who invited them to a yacht party. After insisting they didn’t want to spend any more money, the man told them they would be his American guests.
They agreed to attend, but shortly after arriving on the boat, he said they were slapped with a more than $2,700 bill.
“I was like, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. Like, I was invited as a guest, as a friend… I said I wasn’t spending any more,” Joseph said. “And then they came over two more times, and then at this point, we went outside and, spoke to a few of the people… They were like, ‘Okay, sorry for the misunderstanding. Like, go in and enjoy yourselves.’”
Then, things took a turn for the worse.
“At this point, a woman… she came over and brought me a drink, and after I drank it, I literally don’t remember anything for the rest of the night except for a few seconds here and there,” he said.
The pair ultimately woke up in the back of a police car the next morning, with little to no recollection of how the night evolved. They are charged with assaulting an officer, resisting arrest, damaging a patrol vehicle and alcohol consumption, according to the New York Post.
Joseph and Joshua have been released on bail but are unable to leave the country in the meantime. They could face years in jail if found guilty.