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Rebecca's Story

Rebecca Roth led the good life for eight years in Puerto Vallarta, where she use to own a boutique. Nowadays though, she lives in a six-bunk cell in Jalisco's Puente Grande Prison with fourteen other women as she fights money-laundering charges stemming from a brief sojourn working for a convicted scam artist.

Despite her tough surroundings, the former financial consultant from Lake Oswego, Oregon produces whimsical paintings during advanced art classes that draw inspiration from a far more cheerful spot. Her sister Barbara has framed several and displays them in her Lake Chapala-area home, but a painting titled “Dos Hermanas” is appropriately most prominent – especially considering the women's struggles.

For past 2+ years, Rebecca and Barbara have waged a lonely fight for justice in a system that seemingly dispenses little of it. Rebecca still faces an uncertain future as her pleas of innocence have mostly fallen on deaf ears.

Rebecca's misadventure started after meeting Alyn Waage, a Canadian who ran an Internet investing scheme called Tri-West. He hired Rebecca as a person who paid the expenses on his 11 luxury properties. Shortly thereafter, he was arrested in Puerto Vallarta. During a his incarceration, US $50k was deposited into Rebecca's Mexican bank account so she could pay the domestic staff and expenses at his  Puerto Vallarta properties. The proposed transaction unsettled Rebecca, but a Puerto Vallarta lawyer said everything was legal. The advice proved erroneous.

Waage later fled, but was eventually extradited to the United States, where he agreed to a plea bargain for running a US $60 million Ponzi scheme. He is serving a 10-year sentence in a North Carolina prison.

Rebecca thought little of her sojourn in Waage's life – it had lasted slightly less than four months – and carried on with her business, which employed three Mexican women. Then, at 5:30 p.m. on Feb. 13, 2006 as Rebecca was closing up her business, she was apprehended and driven overnight to Puente Grande. She was told she would be back in P. Vallarta the next day. That never happened.

Rebecca was apprehended as was Brenda Martin, a Canadian woman that also worked for Waage, but had been fired, and Waage's former Mexican bodyguard. The bodyguard, who was a Mayor of P. Vallarta at one time, was released in less than a week due to “a lack of evidence,” according to a newspaper in P. Vallarta.

The key evidence against Rebecca is the bank deposit, even though she paid Waage's staff with the funds and kept receipts, which were turned over to the Mexican court early on. Waage recently signed a deposition saying Rebecca was not involved in his schemes. The U.S. prosecutors from the Waage case told Rebecca's U.S. lawyer that they had no interest in her.

None of that has so far satisfied the Mexican prosecutors.

“We have been told that In Mexico the crime she's charged with is worse than murder,” Barbara said.

Although in a fight for her life, proving Rebecca's innocence and preparing a defense has been difficult.

Upon arriving at Puente Grande, Rebecca was told to sign a document saying incorrectly that she was fluent in Spanish. Her public defender was also of little use. He often went missing in action. After disappearing for a month, he told Rebecca she had just ten days to submit her evidence and witness list. She asked, “Don't they care about justice?” The defender reportedly responded, “Of course not!”

Finding a good lawyer proved nearly impossible. All of the potential attorneys either demanded steep up-front payments or would back off after viewing the court documents. One hotshot lawyer pitched himself as the “Johnny Cochran” of Mexico and demanded US $100,000 plus expenses. The women declined.

“We're no O.J. Simpson and we don't have that kind of money,” Barbara said.

The women eventually settled on an erstwhile law student, but still needed to pay his professor approximately 200,000 pesos.

Enlisting help from U.S. officials has also been difficult. Barbara turned to the U.S. Consulate in Guadalajara, but found little assistance. She wrote Senator G. Smith in Oregon and still is waiting for a response. A friend recommended writing a Florida senator after reading about him helping a constituent jailed in Vietnam.

The desperation of the situation hit hard physically for both women. Rebecca's asthma became worse and was aggravated by the advent of the rainy season and sleeping on the floor. She spent three months in the prison infirmary. Barbara's health also declined. After months of intense stress she was diagnosed with diabetes.

During the ordeal, the sisters have grown closer. Barbara visits Puente Grande weekly, delivering medicine, food and other necessities. Faith sustains them; both women are committed Christians. Rebecca said she copes by reading the Bible and praying. She also speaks with a psychologist and keeps busy with her art, sewing, math and music classes.

“Even when she was sick her faith was strong,” Barbara said.

“I've counseled my sister to redeem the time, make every day count for good.”

After 2+ years in Puente Grande, Rebecca described the experience as “bittersweet.”

“It's a sample of hell ... but there are touching moments,” she said, referring to the euphoria of an inmate learning she can go free after being resigned to years of incarceration.

Hopefully for Roth, her moment of euphoria will come soon.