Australian Man's Five-Month US Jail Ordeal Over Pizza Order with Friend's Credit Card
An Australian man has revealed he spent five grueling months behind bars in the United States after attempting to order a pizza using a friend's credit card without her authorisation. James, who chose not to disclose his surname, shared his harrowing experience with the Daily Mail, detailing how he was transferred through three different jails before ultimately being deported back to Australia seven years ago.
From Student Visa to Illegal Status
James originally moved to America when he was just fifteen years old, completing high school and undertaking two years of university studies before his student visa was abruptly cancelled, forcing him to drop out. This left him living illegally in the United States, setting the stage for the incident that would dramatically alter his life.
The fateful decision occurred when James and his friends realised that his friend Hannah had accidentally left her credit card at his apartment. "I was hungry so I decided it was a good idea to use her card to buy the pizza," James recounted. He placed the order for a pepperoni pizza, but approximately ten minutes later noticed the transaction had been cancelled. The group subsequently went to McDonald's instead, but upon returning to the apartment complex, James was met with a shocking sight.
Arrest and Charges
"When we got back, I remember seeing a couple of cop cars outside the apartment complex," James said. "By the time we get up the elevator, we walk out to see Hannah and about three police officers. As soon as they see us, she walks off and the cops come up to us."
Despite initial promises from his friends to remain silent, that vow was quickly broken. "The cops talked to my two friends first and then arrested me on the spot," James explained. "My friends told them everything and I was charged with a few things including indecent use of a credit card and fraud."
Terrifying Introduction to Prison Life
James's first day in prison remains vividly etched in his memory. During the transport to jail, he asked the two police officers in the front of the car, "Hey guys I'm just an Australian and I'm pretty scared. All I've seen of prison is the movies. What's it like?" Their response was chilling: "It's just like the movies. When you go into shower just be careful. There's a big black guy and he's going to take you."
After approximately twelve hours of processing paperwork, James was finally shown to his cell in the early hours of the morning. "They put you in this extremely cold cell with a million people in it," he described. "I heard it's extremely cold because it's hard to be aggressive when you're freezing."
Prison Survival Advice
James also consulted with the warden, posing the same question about prison life. The warden's advice was starkly different: "If I was you, I would go in there, see the biggest guy, punch him and give him a black eye. These people are going to f*** with you if you don't stand up for yourself and it will last forever. It's important you stand up for yourself."
Guided to his cell at 2am, James found himself in a space split into two halves filled with bunk beds, sharing the room with approximately fifty other inmates. "I ended up walking into 50 inmates sleeping, but they all woke up to me coming in and were screaming... but you learn they're just messing with you," he recalled.
Improvised Prison Alcohol
One of the more unusual prison experiences involved James's cellmate creating homemade alcohol. "One time my cellmates told me if I collected enough of people's apple sauces, he could make me alcohol," James said. For an entire week, the cellmate collected bread slices while James gathered apple sauces, which they then stuffed into a plastic bottle and sealed.
After fermenting for a week, the result was a disgusting-looking liquid. "I sculled this mushy apple sauce and was able to get the tiniest bit tipsy," James admitted. Remarkably, this marked the first time he didn't feel that jail was entirely unbearable. "I remember going in the shower and in there, you could see the television and it was playing music. I was in the shower smiling and singing."
Deportation and Reflection
Over the course of five months, James was moved between three different prisons while awaiting deportation proceedings. Eventually, he was returned to Australia, ending his American chapter under dramatic circumstances. His story serves as a stark warning about the severe consequences of credit card misuse and the challenges faced by individuals living without proper immigration status in foreign countries.
