Reality TV star Ben Rathbun’s honeymoon phase came to an abrupt halt as the 90 Day Fiancé personality was arrested in Michigan just months after his wedding to 22-year-old Mahogany Roca.
Rathbun, 53, was taken into custody on Nov. 22 in Macomb County, Michigan, on charges of failing to pay child support. The father of four is currently being held at Oakland County, Michigan jail under civil contempt, according to records obtained by In Touch.
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The arrest reveals deeper legal troubles for the controversial reality star. According to 90 Day Fiancé blogger Shabooty, “Ben of Ben and Mahogany fame has been arrested and charged with failing to pay child support. He’s currently being held in an Oakland County Michigan jail. He’s still with Mahogany and apparently she was distraught over this latest arrest but no one in his family is willing to talk to her except one of Ben’s daughters. If you recall on the 90 Day Dairies update with Ben, he was so broke he was donating blood for money. Now the law caught up to him for not financially taking care of his kids.”
Rathbun was also arraigned on felony embezzlement charges, involving amounts between $1,000-$20,000 from a non-profit or charitable organization. “UPDATE: 90 Day Fiancé’s Ben Rathburn was ALSO just arraigned today in Michigan on a charge of Felony EMBEZZLEMENT ($1000-$20,0000 FROM NON PROFIT OR CHARITABLE ORG),” the blogger reported.
Despite the offense dating back to 2018, Rathbun allegedly evaded authorities by staying in Peru with his new wife. “Exclusive: Ben has been hiding out in Peru with Mahogany. He just came back to the United States and they arrested him in Washington DC when his passport was flagged. He then was extradited back to Michigan from DC. That’s why it has taken six years for Ben to finally face justice!” Shabooty revealed.
This isn’t Rathbun’s first brush with the law. In 2020, he claims he was wrongfully arrested for trying to help an unhoused couple, though records show he was charged with operating while ability impaired (OWAI), resulting in 15 days of community service and 24 months probation. He was later arrested in 2022 for violating that probation.
The arrest comes during a period of financial instability for the couple, who recently opened up about their struggles on 90 Day Diaries per In Touch. “I’ve gone about six months without a really good job and bills have been piling up of course,” Rathbun admitted. “Things are extremely tight now and I’m doing everything I can right now to pay all the bills and for my next trip to Peru.”
The couple’s relationship began online and played out on season 5 of 90 Day Fiancé: Before the 90 Days. “We have a very young relationship. It’s very new,” Rathbun told fans during the season’s tell-all in April 2022 via In Touch. “And she’s worried that I’m still not here for the right reasons. And it takes trust. There’s no replacement for trust, and there’s no replacement for time. You can’t substitute anything for that. No matter how much you love someone, so it’s going to take a while.”
Despite initial trust issues and their 30-year age gap, the pair married in an oceanfront ceremony earlier this year. “Our civil ceremony was just brilliant, I could not believe how beautiful it was,” Rathbun shared on 90 Day Diaries. “But we are still planning on having a religious ceremony.”
Currently, sources report that Roca remains distraught over the arrest, with only one of Rathbun’s daughters maintaining communication with her. No trial date has been set for either the child support or embezzlement charges.
