“I still can’t figure out why he insisted I go with him on this particular day.”
”I was taken from my four, mostly young, children. My little ones are with my ex-husband, who was abusive to me. You cannot begin to imagine how it feels to lie down at night and wonder if your children are safe..if they’re being fed…if their punishments are too harsh.”
”My story is one to which, perhaps, other single young mothers can relate. I have four children and was working 3 jobs – nights at Walmart, days as a caregiver, and waitressing ‘on the side’. ( I had no choice, as I had no child support coming in.)
I met my co-defendant, while waitressing. He came through town often, and we eventually started going out together. We later moved in together, which lasted for three years) and he was mostly on the road, doing “welding work on a pipeline”.
He became very controlling and abusive, so we parted ways.
I returned to working three jobs. The worst and most difficult part of being a single mom, working so many hours, is that you always feel that you aren’t with them enough! So when he showed up again, I called him for a loan to help pay rent. He offered to pay me to drive him somewhere, and it never occurred to me that he was doing anything illegal, based on everything I knew about him. But then it all happened so fast. He left me in the car, and the next thing I knew, I was arrested and charged with ‘Conspiracy to possess w/ intent to distribute, and aiding & abetting, and possession of a firearm.” I was stunned, as I, naively, suspected nothing.
“I had no experience in the drug world.
Thankfully, my ex can’t always keep a roof over his head, so he’ll take them to my mom’s house when that happens.
I’m not saying I’m completely innocent, but I am saying that 19 years is far too much time for me, as a first-time, non-violent drug offender!
Click here to sign the petition for Olga to receive clemency.
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