*The original GFM donations were refunded (should be back in your accounts no later than 9/17) due to our fundraiser being against their terms of service because her charges are that of a financial nature. I was devastated about their decision to do that. Please re-donate to this new fundraiser if you are able - which has been reviewed top to bottom by the company and our lawyer - and share it out 💛*
Hello, everyone.
For those that do not know me, My name is Jolie Bouldin. I have created this GiveSendGo to support my sister, Alicia Duhon, in her fight for justice.
To begin, there are some things you should know about my sister: Alicia is a therapist who works with children and young adults and she is currently working on her doctorate in counseling services. She is a recent thyroid cancer survivor with chronic migraines, amongst other ailments. She is sweet, caring, a little awkward, and has a childlike spirit. She loves Pokemon. She just adopted the oldest, medically complex cat in the local shelter. Alicia even once picked up an addict on the side of the road in our area and drove him to the rehabilitation center - Not the smartest idea, but that is just who she is. Now that you know a little bit about her, that may help you understand how crazy this story really is...
On August 21, 2026, my sister was traveling back to the United States after visiting her husband’s family in India. When she arrived at JFK airport, she was detained and told that she had warrants for her arrest in a county in Texas (she has never been to Texas). They allowed her to call my mom to tell her what was going on and then immediately took her phone. We could not find her for about 24 hours after that, which was extremely scary. Every time we called the airport they would just tell us they couldn’t tell us anything due to “privacy” policies. Eventually, my mom was able to find her location - they had taken her to the Detention Center in Queens, NY to wait for an arraignment trial. We rushed to get her a lawyer in NY to attend that hearing, and he did, but it did not seem to matter. The judge immediately decided that she needed to be remanded in Riker’s Prison - that’s right - the infamously terrible one - until she could be expedited to Texas to clear her name.
It was at this point that the lawyer was able to tell us what the charge was, “Financial abuse of the elderly over $150,000.” We were all absolutely shocked to say the least. My sister has devoted her life to helping and advocating for others. She would never knowingly cause harm in any way to anyone. We immediately assumed it was some kind of identity theft, but the lawyers have told us that it could even be that she is simply linked in some way to a person/place/time that gives them enough probable cause to be able to put out an arrest warrant. We will not know until she is Texas and the artifacts of the case and what they they think have on her is released to the the lawyers. At that time, we will be able to build our defense. There should be ample evidence to prove her innocence, whatever the case may be.
In the many phone calls we've made, someone said to my mom, "Well, maybe you don't know your daughter as well as you think you do." I'm sure there are things we don't know about Alicia. But, what I do know is that she would NEVER do what she is being accused of. I would bet my life on it.
As soon as we knew for sure what building she was placed in, my husband and I drove straight to Riker’s to visit her. I had to see her in person and know that she was okay. The prison was as horrifying as you might imagine. The correctional officers were all kind and helpful, but the prison itself was broken, dirty, maximum security, and outdated. We had to take 2 buses inside the complex to get to where she was. As we sat in the waiting room, I watched as babies and children waited with adults to visit loved ones, and it absolutely broke my heart to see them experience that place. Riker’s should be closed down - it is inhumane to house anyone there.
As we were waiting in the main area to be able to visit with her, we heard a voice come up behind us and say, "Holy crap, how did you find me?" Alicia was amazingly calm. I shared what has been happening on our end and the little information we had on the situation. She had such a positive outlook for being in such a devastating situation. She knows she is innocent and will get out in time - this is just a waiting game. I'm sure part of her calm demeanor is her dissociating from a drastic change in reality, but nonetheless her bravery inspires me.
Currently, Alicia is still sitting in Riker’s Island prison waiting to be extradited. This can take up to 30 days, sometimes longer depending on the circumstance. She is not indicted on these charges, yet she has been placed in the general population with convicted criminals.
This is my sister’s life. This has already impacted my family in unimaginable ways. We have had to take over the care of her pets. I had to contact her job and her grad program to put a pause on them due to this absence. We had to call an unimaginable amount of people just to find her luggage from the plane. Her car could be repossessed. All this on top of the fact that we are worried sick about her - especially my mom. The list of these little issues goes on and on, and we are doing our best to keep her life afloat while we navigate this crisis.
All of the money raised with this GiveSendGo will go to pay for her legal defense. My family was able to pay the entire retainer for the NY lawyer, but we need help to cover the other fees that remain. Donations will be used to pay the $50,000 retainer for the TX lawyer (believe it or not, he was one of the more “affordable” options). Every lawyer we consulted with made it clear that this is extremely serious. We just found out after officially retaining the Texas lawyer that the other charge against her is "engaging in organized crime". I'm not sure which accusation is more insane. The maximum sentence if she is found guilty is 99 years in prison - the same as it is for a murderer. So, we had to hire a great law firm - it was not something we could take a chance on. Right now, the goal is to get her extradited to Texas as fast as possible. Once there, we should be able to get her out on bond fairly quickly, so that she can continue to fight this battle from home for her safety and sanity. We are not sure what the bond will be set at, but it will also be a large sum.
Help us bring Alicia justice. No donation is too small. If you cannot donate, please share this with anyone and everyone you can. This is wrong. The system is flawed, and failing her. We need help to make this right.
The support of everyone - her boss, co-workers, professors, classmates, friends, family ( pretty much anyone who has met Alicia) has been unbelievable. I will never forget your kindness and generosity as long as I live. Thank you all so, so much.
Continue to send love and light our way - we are going to need it.
PS - Rest assured we have been writing and contacting as many people in government as we can to alert them of what is happening and requesting help . Many people have suggested going to the media, but due to the nature of the case and how we don’t have the exact details of what she is accused of yet, the lawyers have advised us not to at this time.
(You will notice the beneficiary is Edward Rosenquist - he is our Stepdad and the one that has the contract with the lawyer, so all funds will go to him, so it can then pass to the lawyer).
