Attorneys Say Gun Claim Could Keep 'Affluenza' Teen Ethan Couch in Mexico Jim Douglas and Lauren Zakalik - WFAA
go to original January 1, 2016

'Affluenza' Teen and Mom Had Gun at Mexican Resort (New York Daily News)

Thursday, ABC News reported it had spoken to employees at Los Tules, a resort in Puerto Vallarta. They said a gun was left behind in a drawer in the Couches' hotel room. When employees addressed the situation, ABC was told, Ethan took the gun back, claiming it was his.

If the claim proves true, Fort Worth attorney Lonnie Robin says Ethan could be in a world of trouble. "It is a serious offense in Mexico," Robin says. "They do not treat it lightly."

"Carrying a firearm into Mexico, even just a bullet, is – it's game over," says Fort Worth immigration attorney Francisco Hernandez, who spoke to us from Mexico. He said authorities there will investigate this claim. If convicted, he says, punishment is prison.

"Even one year in a Mexican prison, oh my goodness, I don't think there is much more we can do in the U.S. to him," he said. And Robin says a Mexican conviction could affect a person's American probation.

"Characteristically, the U.S. may not know about a violation in another country. In this case, they certainly will," Robin says.

The Tarrant County District Attorney's office told News 8 Thursday the Texas judicial system will wait for Couch, no matter how long it takes him to get home.

Tonya Couch was being held in a Los Angeles jail on $1 million bond, but her attorney, Stephanie Patten, told News 8 she would return voluntarily to Fort Worth.

Read the rest at WFAA

Related: 'Affluenza' Teen Ethan Couch Hires High-Profile Attorney (WFAA)

Related: ‘Affluenza’ Teen May Delay Deportation with Human Rights Law (Associated Press)

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