During the season 1 premiere of 90 Day Fiancé: Before the 90 Days, fans were introduced to Paul Staehle, a Kentucky man who traveled thousands of miles — and many, many moons out of his comfort zone — to meet with the woman he thinks he loves in Brazil, Karine Martins. Fans were shocked to find out that he is a convicted felon — and they were even more shocked when Karine still chose to marry him even after he told her about his past. Keep reading below to learn more about Paul and his criminal record.

How Did Paul Meet Karine?

The Louisville native explained to TLC cameras that he started looking for international love online, after not having much luck with women in his area. During the premiere, he revealed, “I haven’t had the best of luck in past relationships here locally. I’ve been betrayed. I’ve experienced unfaithful girlfriends — a lot of negative, chaotic things. Being burned that many times definitely affects anybody.”

paul staehle arrested

What Is on Paul’s Criminal Record?

According to the Kentucky corrections website, Paul was found guilty of felony arson in 2014 stemming from a 2007 case where he allegedly committed second-degree arson and “Burning Personal Property To Defraud Insurer.” After his conviction, he served a brief stint in jail and was placed under supervision until April 2020, Starcasm reported.

During the premiere, Paul alluded to what led to his arrest. “One of the relationships I was in ended so badly, it ended up getting me in some serious trouble,” he said, “and I haven’t explained it all to Karine yet.” He eventually came clean to Karine and her parents about his past, and they still were able to accept him into their family.

paul and karine

How do Paul and Karine communicate?

Early on in their relationship, the couple relied on a translator app in order to speak with one another. Paul admitted, “Sometimes the translations are way off and it causes some problems.” But since then, Karine has been working to learn English using Rosetta Stone and her skills have improved.

Are Paul and Karine still together?

During the season 1 90 Day Fiancé: Before the 90 Days tell-all, Paul confirmed that he moved to Brazil to be with his fiancée. The couple tied the knot on November 3, 2017. Shortly after their wedding, they learned Karine was pregnant and expecting their first child, but she sadly suffered a miscarriage. During the season 2 90 Day Fiancé: Before the 90 Days tell-all, the couple announced they were expecting their rainbow baby. Karine gave birth to their first child, a son named Pierre, on March 22, 2019.

They lived together as a family in Brazil for nearly two years but Paul struggled to find steady work in the country because he doesn’t speak Portuguese. He convinced Karine it would be best for them to relocate to the United States, where he could find a stable job and financially support her and their son. Their move and their first few months adjusting to life in America is currently being documented on season 5 of 90 Day Fiancé: Happily Ever After?

But the couple started to experience marital issues in July 2020. Paul documented a police visit to their home via Instagram Live after getting into a heated fight with Karine. He claimed the fight started because he looked over at her phone and saw she was talking to a Brazilian lawyer about “child support and divorce.” Karine left their marital home with their son after the cops visited the couple’s home a second time that same day and later filed a restraining order against her husband. At the time, Paul claimed Karine was “missing,” but she denied it in a statement on August 2.

“I want you all to know that me and Pierre are doing well now. All this past days [sic] I had a lot going on,” Karine wrote via Instagram Story. “As the media showed, I had issues where the police was called because I feared for my life and my son’s life which led me to ask for help and ultimately be rescued from an environment that no longer was healthy for none of us involved in the situation.”

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She continued, “I’m getting the best help I could ever get and I’m really thankful for all the people involved in it. I also think all the people that worry about me for the support I have had. It have [sic] been a big part of my recovery. Relationships are hard and sometimes it just can’t be fixed anymore. I need this time to organize my thoughts, work on myself and care for my son after everything we have been through in the last year and a half.”

While the couple is currently estranged, they are both due in court on August 11.

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