A planned peaceful vacation has spiralled into a prolonged two-month ordeal for Ontario man David Bennett, who remains stranded in the Dominican Republic despite having all criminal charges against him dropped.
On March 7, 2025, Bennett was arrested after airport security flagged a suspicious bag bearing a misspelled tag reading ‘Davi Bennett’ instead of his correct name. Despite repeated assertions from the Canadian couple that the bag did not belong to them, Bennett was charged with drug trafficking and subsequently taken into custody in the Dominican Republic.
Bennett spent a weekend in custody, first in a standing room cell only, then in a slightly less packed cell with more than a dozen other men.
“We’re struggling. It’s been really tough,” Bennett’s wife Jane Wilcox told CityNews in an interview.
Bennett’s lawyer, Gary Bouchard, says the Canadian man has suffered some substantial emotional and psychological distress as a result of the ordeal.
“It’s been very difficult on him.”
Several weeks later, with the assistance of a local legal team, the charges against Bennett were formally dropped. However, he remains unable to leave the Dominican Republic until the court officially processes the case’s dismissal—a procedure currently delayed due to a significant backlog.
“This is something that Canadian citizens generally would hope that their consular officials would assist in communicating the status of a Canadian citizen who’s being wrongfully restricted, or at least has been wrongfully detained and is now being wrongfully restricted from departing that jurisdiction,” Bouchard said.
‘Have to remain hopeful’: Family calls for reform
The family reports having contacted both the Canadian Embassy and Global Affairs Canada, but says the response has been limited.
Wilcox is now advocating for systemic reforms to prevent other Canadian families from facing similar ordeals, marked, she says, by prolonged uncertainty and insufficient communication from government authorities.
“Each case is going to be individual, and we recognize that Canadian officials can’t interfere with investigations, but they can provide real, decent support that is meaningful and helpful,” Wilcox said. “It just feels like it’s going through the motions.”
Wilcox said her family has been informed that the RCMP has made an arrest in Canada in connection with Bennett’s case. In an email, a spokesperson for the Mounties said that the force can’t confirm or deny that an arrest has been made, but it is “actively investigating” the case.
Wilcox said the family has incurred roughly $80,000 in legal fees and accommodation costs, which only go up the longer Bennett is in the Dominican Republic.
“I have to remain hopeful, but it’s wearing really thin.”
With files from The Canadian Press
