'90 Day Fiance' Pastor Ben Arrested for "Civil Contempt" And Multiple Other Charges

For 90 Day Fiancé star Ben Rathbun, November 2024 has been a rough ride. The pastor was arrested in November 2024 on multiple charges, just months after marrying his intended, Mahogany Roca.

Ben's newest arrested charges seemed initially to be related to his lack of child support payments, but the rabbit hole runs even deeper than people first thought. Here's what we know about why Ben was arrested, and how the internet is reacting to the "shocking" news that Ben is having yet another brush with the law.

News broke in November 2024 that Ben was under arrest, again. He had previously had a brush with the law at least two other times: in 2020 and 2022. In 2020, Ben claims he was wrongfully arrested for trying to help an unhoused couple. Records show that he was arrested and charged with one count of OWAI (operating while ability impaired). He was then sentenced to 15 days of community service and 24 months probation. In 2022, he was arrested for violating that probation.

And now, he's in custody of the police again. This time, the initial charges relate to child support for his four children which he has from a previous relationship. The 53-year-old was arrested on Nov. 22, 2024, and held in Oakland County, Mich. 90 Day Fiancé specialty blogger Shabooty broke the news first, writing on Instagram, "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." They added, " 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. Smh."

Apparently, however, child support wasn't the problem. Shabooty later updated to say that Ben was facing even more quite serious charges. They wrote, "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). You may be asking yourself if the offense date is listed as 2018, why is he just getting arraigned today in 2024? Here’s the SUPER HOT TEA!"

Shabooty wrote that Ben had been hiding from his legal trouble, adding, "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! Wow. This is way more legal hot water than unpaid child support! Crazy!"

Fans seem completely unsurprised by this turn of events. In Shabooty's exposing post on Instagram, one fan of the show commented, "The train is rushing down the track, it’s about to crash and we’re on it but let’s just dance!’ — anyone remember him saying something like this?"

Another mused, "He’s always given me the creeps." One fan added, "He’s too busy chasing young a-- then to take care of the children he brought into this world. He’s a real winner."

Some commented on Ben's shocking appearance, which is much older and thinner than his last on-air appearance. And one fan went for the jugular, writing he "brought his kids on the show, humiliated them by association, abandoned them, dated a girl their age, got an OUI, became a total failure … But yes we must remember he is the most pious and holy among us. He’s so special that god him to bang women half his age and have a full midlife crisis body."

Ben's fall from loudly pious 90 Day Fiancé star to alleged embezzler, intoxicated driver, and child support avoider may not be shocking to fans who say they clocked him from the start. But it's a dramatic turn, nonetheless.