Local Man Held In Dubai Jail Back Home

GLENOLDEN, Pa. - A local man held prisoner overseas is back home with his family.

He was supposed to spend just a day and a half in Dubai, but now, after six and a half weeks, he says he's happy to finally be home.

Michael Joslin, of Glenolden, got home Wednesday afternoon - a free man after being incarcerated in a Dubai jail for almost two months, reported Fox 29's Nefertiti Jaquez.

Joslin, a National Guardsman and Air Force veteran, got lots of love from his family and says he's just relieved to be back home.

The 28-year-old was placed in a detention center back on May 9. Joslin was on his way to Afghanistan to work for global security contractor EMW.

But during a layover in Dubai, he says authorities found prescription pain killers and an unloaded gun in his checked baggage.

According to the US Department of State's website, it's illegal to bring such items into Dubai without prior notification. But Joslin says, he thought he took all the right steps to ensure there weren't any problems.

Even so, he was placed behind bars and recalls his time in jail as a "nightmare."

"What was going through my mind was, 'What am I gonna do? My family's at home, I lost my job, they have no income coming in, my savings are only going to carry us so far. Am I ever gonna see my family again?' I gave up hope. I didn't think I'd ever see my family again," Joslin says.

Meantime, Joslin lost his job after the arrest because his employer says he broke company policy.

A lawyer with EMW tells Fox 29 no one authorized Joslin to carry a weapon or any prescription meds.

As for Joslin, he believes he was wrongly fired and feels the company should have done more to get him back home. Instead, he says he was caught up in the legal system.