Georgia Sens. Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue issued a Christmas Day call for leniency for a Loganville teen who was jailed in the Cayman Islands for violating a COVID-19 quarantine.
In a letter to the acting consul general of the U.S. Embassy in Jamaica, the GOP senators — who are both locked in bitter reelection battles that will determine control of the U.S. Senate next month — express their support for the family of 18-year-old Skylar Mack.
“We appreciate the efforts of U.S. Embassy Kingston and the U.S. Consular Agency to provide consular services and protect the legal rights of Ms. Mack as a U.S. citizen,” the letter, which was posted online by Fox News, said. “We encourage you to continue these efforts and to convey to the Governor our support for her family’s call for leniency.”
Mack, 18, and her boyfriend, Vanjae Ramgeet, 24, were originally sentenced to four months in jail for violating Cayman Islands’ strict mandates regarding COVID-19. A few days after being sentenced, an appeals court reduced their jail time to two months.
“Ms. Mack has admitted guilt, regrets her actions, paid a substantial fine and has been incarcerated for over a week,” the letter said. “However, it is the sincere hope of her parents that she can safely and expeditiously return home to continue her studies as a pre-med student at Mercer University.”
Mack, a Mercer University pre-med student, has struggled to cope with spending time in jail, according to her family. The family also is seeking an assist from President Donald Trump.
Mack’s grandmother, Jeanne Mack, told Augusta news station WRDW that her punishment was too harsh, because initially she only faced a fine and community service. Jeanne Mack said her granddaughter has been emotionally wrecked by the outcome of her choices.
“She’s pretty messed up right now. She’s very sad, very remorseful. She can’t believe she did something like this, and she’s also feeling like she’s been made an example of,” Jeanne Mack said.
Mack sent a letter to Trump to assist with shortening her granddaughter’s sentence, according to several reports. The Office of Presidential Correspondence responded to her, according to Fox News. The agency thanked her for “taking the time to write and share your story with President Donald J. Trump” and that “White House staff reviewed your correspondence and forwarded it to the appropriate Federal agency for further action.”
In an interview with Fox News, Jeanne Mack said she’s been in correspondence with the U.S. Embassy in Grand Cayman as well.
The country has reported 316 cases and two deaths since the start of the pandemic, according to the government’s COVID-19 tracker website.
Mack had been in the country for only two days when she began socializing around the island, which is known for its lavish beaches and aquatic activities. Ramgeet was charged with aiding and abetting Mack during her visit.
They both had to spend 14 days in a quarantine facility before beginning their sentences. Ramgeet was also forced to return his trophy he earned during the competition and banned from competitions taking place in early 2021.
Both issued an apology for their behavior, with Mack admitting she “made a mistake.”
“I made a mistake, and words cannot express how sorry I am for this… I was afforded the opportunity to enter the islands during these trying times and I abused it. I am humbly asking for the forgiveness of the community,” she wrote in her apology letter.
