’90 Day Fiance’ Alum Sentenced to 18 Years in Prison

90 Day Fiancé alum Geoffrey Paschel was sentenced to 18 years in prison without the possibility of parole on Thursday, Feb. 3. Paschel was handed the sentence during a court appearance in Knoxville, Tennessee four months after he was found guilty of domestic assault, aggravated kidnapping, and interfering with an emergency call. The charges were in connection to an incident with his ex-fiancee Kristen Chapman (formerly Wilson).

A statement from Knox County Tenn. District Attorney Charme Allen released just after the sentencing read, “Prosecutors in DA Charme Allen’s Domestic Violence Unit obtained an eighteen-year sentence against a defendant who assaulted his fiancée and refused to let her leave her residence.” The statement continued, stating that Paschel, 44, “was convicted of Aggravated Kidnapping, Domestic Assault, and Interference with Emergency Calls,” and “Judge Kyle Hixson ordered Paschel to serve eighteen years in prison without the possibility of parole.” The statement also noted Paschel’s previous offenses, prior convictions of possession with intent to sell a controlled substance, as well as two federal drug trafficking charges. Allen said, “With the sentence in this case, no other victims will be abused by this offender for a long time.”

Paschel, who was featured in a few episodes of the TLC series with his two love interests Varya Malina and Mary Wallace, was arrested in June 2019 following an incident involving Chapman. On June 9, 2019, the Knox County Sheriff’s Office responded to a call of a domestic disturbance in the Rocky Hill area of west Knoxville. When they arrived, Chapman told responding officers that Paschel assaulted her in her home. Chapman accused Paschel of grabbing her by the neck and slamming her head against the wall several times. She also said she was thrown to the ground and dragged and that Paschel took her phone and refused to let her leave the house. Chapman suffered numerous injuries in the incident, including a bruised forehead, bruises and abrasions on her back, arms, and the inside of her lip, and she was also diagnosed with a concussion. 

Following his arrest on charges of kidnapping and assault, Paschel told Knox News that he was innocent and believed his ex-girlfriend made her claims to hurt his upcoming child custody case in Blount County with his estranged wife. During his trial, Paschel claimed Chapman’s were self-inflicted. However, a jury convicted Paschel on all charges in October 2021.

Paschel appeared on season 4 of 90 Day Fiancé: Before the 90 Days, which aired in 2020. Due to the accusations and pending trial at the time, he was kept from appearing in the tell-all special. He said at the time that he was “sad that I wasn’t on it. The mentality of keeping me off the tell-all because somebody said something is the most absurd thing I’ve ever heard in my life. … I want my court case to be over with, and as soon as my court case is over with, then my life will proceed.”