U.S. parents who ferried children to Cuba agree to jail time

By Letitia Stein TAMPA Fla. (Reuters) - A U.S. couple face a decade or longer in jail after pleading guilty this week to kidnapping their two young sons in Florida last year, then fleeing by sailboat to Cuba with the family dog. In a deal that spared them additional federal or state charges, Sharyn and Joshua Hakken, who had lost custody of their sons after a drug arrest in Louisiana, admitted on Tuesday to kidnapping the boys, then ages 4 and 2, their attorneys said. The couple, both engineers, believed they had uncovered a government conspiracy, attorneys said. They drew international scrutiny in April 2013 after sailing from the United States with their children aboard a sailboat named the Salty. Cuban officials handed them over to U.S. authorities after they landed in Havana. The boys, safely returned to Florida, were initially told the journey amounted to an adventurous vacation, their grandparents said. Under the deal, Sharyn Hakken, 36, faces up to 10 years in jail. A sentencing hearing is scheduled for Oct. 9. Joshua Hakken, also 36, could be imprisoned for 15 years. He also pleaded guilty to a charge of burglary with an assault, involving accusations that he broke into his mother-in-law's home north of Tampa, tying her up before fleeing with the boys. "The plea deal ensures that neither of them are going to get life," said his attorney, Jorge Chalela, noting that Joshua Hakken's doctors have said he was insane at the time. It also eliminates the possibility of additional charges after their trial, which had been scheduled to begin in Tampa next week. "Even if she were to be acquitted at the state level, then she was looking at potentially additional time," said Sharyn Hakken's attorney, Bryant Camareno. The couple also faced charges in Louisiana, where they had attempted to take their children from a temporary foster home. Mental illness and insanity concerns were raised by attorneys for both parents. Sharyn Hakken had planned to argue that she was coerced by an abusive husband, her attorney said. She now intends to seek a divorce and has begun a relationship with a woman from prison. Joshua Hakken needs mental health treatment, his attorney said. "I don’t think that either he, or society, will benefit from Florida state prison," Chalela said. (Reporting by Letitia Stein; Editing by Mohammad Zargham)