’90 Day Fiance’ Alum Varya Malina Reacts After Geoffrey Paschel Is Sentenced to 18 Years in Prison

90 Day Fiancé alum Varya Malina spoke out after Geoffrey Paschel was sentenced to 18 years in prison for kidnapping and domestic assault charges on Thursday, February 3, while also sharing a birthday message to Paschel’s late son Kazhem, who died at just 13 months old in died in March 2018.

“Sweet baby boy Kazhem would have celebrated his 5th birthday today🎂Thank you @jersey_kristina for this wonderful cake, he and his dad would absolutely love it. Unfortunately neither of them got to taste it,” Varya, 33, captioned an Instagram Reel featuring a video of her sitting in front of a birthday cake as she turned out the flame on a No. 5 candle with her fingers.

“To be honest we didn’t expect much from this sentencing. 18 years? Alright, we passed the bottom, that means there’s only one way👆up! The grounds for the appeal became even stronger,” the Russian native added. “Meanwhile the sky is still crying, I believe it’s because one little angel is very upset.”

In the hours before his hearing, Malina, who appeared on season 4 of the TLC spinoff 90 Day Fiancé: Before the 90 Days with Paschel, 44, took to Instagram to show him unwavering support. 

“They don’t allow him to wear a suit. Let the circus begin,” Malina captioned a photo of herself at the courthouse in Knoxville, Tennessee, hours after sharing an Instagram Reel in which she was “preparing” for the big day by choosing his outfit for the hearing. “No stripes today,” she wrote in her caption.

On October 7, 2021, Paschel was found guilty of aggravated kidnapping, domestic assault and interference with emergency calls for a domestic dispute incident involving his ex-fiancée, Kristen Wilson, back in June 2019.

During Wilson’s emotional testimony, she detailed numerous instances in which she suffered domestic abuse from her now-ex. Allison Moon, one of his ex-wives with whom Paschel shares a son, also took the stand to testify against him.

Prior to his sentencing, the office of the District Attorney General for Tennessee’s 6th Judicial District issued a press release indicating that Paschel could expect a long period of time behind bars due to the serious charges against him and his past criminal history. 

“Aggravated Kidnapping is a Class B felony,” it read. “Because of his criminal history, Paschel is a Range II Offender facing a sentence between twelve and twenty years in prison without the possibility of parole. Paschel has convictions out of Blount County for Possession with Intent to Sell a Schedule I Controlled Substance and Possession with Intent to Sell Schedule II Cocaine. He also has two federal drug trafficking convictions out of the Eastern District of Texas.”

Before his sentencing hearing, Malina had moved into Paschel’s Tennessee home, telling her social media followers that she put her former house in Florida up for sale in November 2021. 

Although the couple ended season 4 engaged after his love triangle with Mary Wallace, the two were both noticeably missing from part 1 and part 2 of the tell-all in 2020, which prevented them from sharing an update on their relationship status. Paschel later confirmed the reason for their absence was because of his legal case.

Wallace and Malina were both present during his sentencing on February 3, although Starcasm reported that Wallace was kicked out “after attempts to communicate with [Paschel] during the hearing.”