GREENSBORO, N.C. — A Greensboro man was sentenced to death when Investigators in Kuwait found drugs on him. committing a drug-related crime in a Middle Eastern country.
Now, he's home safe.
There's lots of laughter to catch up on between Carol Rogers and son Jermaine after nearly eight years of distance and tears.
"There were lots of days I couldn't hold my head up, his mother Carol Rogers shared. "I couldn't do anything, I was so heartbroken, I was fearful for my son, I kept praying and trusting God to bring my son home."
Carol Rogers held her son's hand tight after nearly losing him when she said he was falsely accused of a crime in 2015.
Jermaine Rogers was living in Kuwait as a contractor and army vet at the time.
Jermaine said an argument with a neighbor earlier in the day led to police kicking down his door later that night.
"They threw me on the ground, arrested me, said I'm a huge drug dealer. I told them to check my house and check whatever they needed to do," Jermaine Rogers said. "I don't sell drugs, I've never sold drugs, I don't use drugs, I don't smoke anything. All of a sudden, one of the smaller officers came out with a bag about this big."
Jermaine was taken into custody after he said cocaine was planted in his home.
"Beatings, lots of torturous beatings, lots of things happened there," Jermaine Rogers shared.
He said he was charged with manufacturing, dealing, and importing 10 grams of cocaine.
Jermaine's sentence was much worse than life in prison.
"Three charges got me the death penalty for Kuwait," Jermaine Rogers said.
Shocked by the harsh sentence, in 2017, Jermaine Rogers got a lawyer to help save his life and get his sentence reduced to 20 years.
Jermaine also has a kidney disease he said wasn't properly treated in jail.
He shared videos of how the inhuman conditions In Kuwait didn't help. He said they had to make their own electricity.
Despite his health, Jermaine Rogers was constantly fighting for his life.
"Beaten on, kicked, spit on and water thrown on the floors and they put the tazer on your feet. All these things we went through," Jermaine Rogers said. "I put it in my mind, I wasn't going to perish there. I wasn't going to die there."
His strength turned into hope when the leader of Kuwait gave Jermaine a pardon reducing his sentence to 10 years.
Then, he said in 2020 COVID hit, and two more years were taken from everyone's sentence.
Last week, Jermaine returned to his mother in Greensboro after serving eight years.
"Just crying and crying, it was very emotional," Jermaine Rogers shared.
"I am happy now I got my joy and peace back," his mother shared.
Jermaine said his mission is to now fight for Americans in Kuwait who have not gotten a fair trial.
He also plans to see his five children in Texas soon.