3 weeks ago
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90 Day Fiancé star Michael Eloshway’s mom wrote an emotional letter to the court pleading for a soft sentence days before the judge ordered him to serve 10 years behind bars.
In Touch obtained the letter written by Michael’s mother, Kerry Eloshway, that she submitted ahead of his sentencing. The ex-TLC star was found guilty on two charges of child pornography in July.
Prosecutors accused him of having received, distributed and possessed the illegal material. A judge sentenced Michael to 10 years and one month in prison, followed by another decade on probation.
Once released, Michael will have his computer activity monitored and will have to register as a sex offender. Michael was also ordered to pay $10,000 in fines and $5,000 to two victims featured in material found on his computer.
Prosecutors sought 20 years in prison. The judge said he decided on 10 years because Michael had no prior criminal history and passed a polygraph where he claimed he never planned to meet real children.
In the letter written by Michael’s mom, she wrote that she was asking “for your mercy and compassion.”
She said Michael was involved in a horrific car crash in 2021 that left him with broken ribs and hip. She said he was unable to function other than to sit in a chair. Kerry said Michael had to use a walker to get to the bathroom and get food for himself which was “extremely painful.” In early 2022, Kerry said her son lost a friend to suicide.
In February, she said Michael lost his only living grandmother. She said the reality star also lost his only grandfather he ever knew and his uncle this year. She said Michael’s only sibling was diagnosed with stage 4 metastatic lung cancer at the age of 39.
“Amy is undergoing treatment but her physical health is rapidly declining,” she said. Kerry said Michael never gave her or her husband trouble as a kid. She described him as a “steady, hardworking, faithful, funny, honest, talented, good humored and a good person.”
She described how he met his wife Aziza online. Aziza, who is from Russia, moved to America to be with Michael. The two recently celebrated their 11th anniversary.
“Michael has always been a faithful husband and devoted father,” Kerry said. “He has never been the type of guy to go out with friends, always preferring to be home with his family.”
She added, “I understand the gravity of Michael’s extremely poor decision making. I truly believe that working from home through COVID, his accident and the losses our family faced put him into a severe depression. I know he did become increasingly addicted to pornography during that period.”
Kerry continued, “I acknowledge the severity of Mike’s lack of judgment and self-control. He made a horrific mistake that has caused him to lose his $80,000 a year job, his freedom, his life savings to pay for his attorney. He lost a great reputation, his standing in the community and mostly his own self respect.”
Michael’s mom said he “feels horrible.”
She claimed her son understood the pain “and suffering this whole thing caused his family.”
“I struggle to understand how a long period of incarceration for someone who has always been a good person will benefit society,” she wrote. The letter didn’t sway the judge and Michael was still sentenced to 10 years in prison.
As In Touch previously reported, in 2023, a search warrant was executed on Michael’s home after an undercover agent caught him sharing the material online. Prosecutors said they found a trove of disgusting photos and videos.
In court, Michael admitted to downloading adult material but claimed he had deleted any illegal material he came across.
Prosecutors did not buy this claim. They claimed Michael sent five video files to the undercover agent. One video showed a victim as young as a year old, the prosecutors said.
Ahead of his sentencing, the government said they believed Michael should be sentenced to 17.5 years to 20 years in prison for his crimes.
The prosecutors called Michael “more than just a casual observer who happened to download [illegal videos] when seeking legal pornography.”
The government also asked that Michael be ordered to pay the $10,000 in fines and restitution to the two victims.
As In Touch first reported, Michael’s wife Aziza also wrote a letter pleading with the court for a soft sentence.
English (US) ·