Geoffrey Paschel/Instagram/Corey Rathgeber/Facebook
90 Day Fiance’s Corey Says TLC Does’ Extensive Background Checks’ on Cast Amid Geoffrey Charges
90 Day Fiancé alum Geoffrey Paschel has been found guilty of aggravated kidnapping, domestic violence and interference with an emergency call.
Now, fans of the franchise are concerned over TLC’s casting methods and whether or not the network runs proper background checks on their potential stars. However, a TLC alum has clarified that the network does look into the participants’ pasts.
“I’m actually surprised they let him on 90 Day Fiancé,” Corey Rathgeber, a 90 Day Fiancé: The Other Way alum, commented on an Instagram post discussing the guilty verdict. “[TLC does] extensive background checks.”
Despite the checks, it appears having a criminal history does not prevent a person from being cast; several 90 Day Fiancé alums have had run-ins with the law.
The charges were brought against Paschel, 41, in June 2019, which means the former Before the 90 Days star was filming the show during his pending domestic violence case.
On Thursday, October 7, Paschel stood to testify in his own defense at the assault trial for a domestic dispute incident involving his ex-fiancée, Kristen Wilson.
According to an affidavit obtained by CourtTV, Wilson alleged the docuseries star “grabbed her by the neck and slammed her head against a wall” after getting into a dispute.
Wilson said she went to a neighbor’s home, where the police met to discuss what happened. Officers noticed “bruises” and “abrasions” on Wilson at the time. The father of four maintained his innocence and insisted the injuries were “self-inflicted.”
News of this assault circulated before episodes of Before the 90 Days aired, however, he went on to appear with his two love interests Varya Malina and Mary Wallace. Ultimately, the assault accusations prevented him from appearing on the show’s following tell-all special.
Following the verdict, Paschel’s bail was revoked by the judge and the former reality TV star has since been placed into the custody of the Knox County Sheriff, where he will remain until his sentencing. His sentencing date has been scheduled for December 3, 2021.
During the docuseries, Paschel revealed to Malina some aspects of his checkered past, including being sentenced to jail, but not his ongoing domestic violence case.
According to court records obtained by In Touch, in 1997, when Paschel was around 19 years old, he was arrested in Blount County, Tennessee for possession of a schedule VI controlled substance (which includes marijuana), possession of a schedule II controlled substance (which includes opiates/opioids, cocaine, methadone, methamphetamines, and amphetamines) with intent to resell, and possession of a schedule I controlled substance (which includes heroin and psychedelics like LSD, psilocybin mushrooms, and peyote/mescaline).
In 1999, he pleaded guilty to the charges and was sentenced to 11 months, 29 days in jail.
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