For the previous 11 months, New Orleans bandleader Thaddeus Ramsey has been residing in Bermuda, close to a vaunted island seashore – in opposition to his will.
It began a 12 months in the past, when he withdrew $8,000 from his Chase checking account in mid-April, 2023, as he ready for a visit to Bermuda that become a 12 months of limbo.
Ramsey, 29, the bass drummer and bandleader for the Huge 6 Brass Band, has spent his life on the middle of New Orleans tradition. He has performed in brass bands; he’s sewed and masked as a Black masking Indian since he was a toddler. His grandfather, Ashton Ramsey, a instructor on the Tamborine & Fan program, makes use of journal tales, pictures and snipped newspaper headlines to manufacture one-of-kind fits each Mardi Gras. His father was one of many inaugural members of the Treme Sidewalk Steppers social help and pleasure membership. His cousin Walter Ramsey, a gifted tuba participant, helped to begin The Stooges Brass Band.
From younger, journey was on his thoughts. He grew up watching brass bands like Olympia, Soiled Dozen, Rebirth, Treme, Sizzling 8, and the Stooges journey the world with their music for the summer season pageant season.
Final 12 months, main as much as the Bermuda journey, Ramsey had been out of city, visiting festivals on the East Coast, attempting to e book different pageant gigs for his group. He needed extra journey gigs for the Huge 6. He was advised by jazz followers at different festivals that Bermuda can be excellent.
To be utterly ready, he entered Bermuda with a complete of $11,000, Ramsey stated. He hoped to trip for just a few weeks there along with his cousin, then transfer into the function of bandleader, to fulfill with cricket-team leaders and membership homeowners. He hoped to lease a venue for a outstanding Huge 6 gig across the time of Bermuda’s legendary annual Cup Match between St. George’s and Somerset, which takes place every year in August.
The Cup Match is a public vacation; the entire place celebrates. Who higher, he thought, to play a pageant like that than the Huge 6, a band conversant in widespread celebrations like Mardi Gras?
Earlier than Ramsey left New Orleans, he was advised that the Bermuda venues he sought would possible solely maintain sought-after dates throughout the cup match if paid in money. So he deliberate accordingly. In his carry-on bag, he packed just a few thousand in money from current gigs and the $8,000 from his financial institution. “Everybody is aware of that bands need to get out of New Orleans and journey,” he stated. “And you need to have your personal cash to again you up.”

Attempting to Head House Early, Then He’s Caught
His journey hit a glitch earlier than it even began. On April tenth, considered one of his mentors, tuba participant Jeffrey Hills, died unexpectedly in New Orleans. Ramsey had hoped the funeral would happen earlier than he flew into Bermuda on the twentieth. But it surely hadn’t been scheduled by the point he left.
Quickly after his arrival, Ramsey heard that Hills’ funeral was scheduled to be April twenty ninth. He weighed his choices and, with a heavy coronary heart, determined to chop his journey brief, in order that he might attend his buddy’s funeral and play within the procession.
On April 28, the day earlier than the funeral, he went to the airport intending to purchase a ticket again to New Orleans. Then customs brokers within the airport stopped him and searched him. They stated he regarded suspicious, he stated. At that time, he had $10,445 in his possession.
Ramsey didn’t know that the cap for cash that may very well be carried in another country was $10,000, he stated. Initially, customs brokers didn’t appear to assume it was a giant deal. They pulled him apart and advised him he’d possible be fined for the error and be on his manner again to New Orleans.
However when some authorities officers got here to speak with Ramsey, they confiscated his cash and his passport and advised him that he was unable to go away the nation, he stated. He was underneath investigation, they stated.
For the previous 12 months, he has been caught. He’s unable to go house.
An official individual with just a few a long time of embassy expertise – who couldn’t converse on the file with out authorities permission – stated that it’s not unusual for People to be detained in another country. As soon as that occurs, the U.S. residents normally have to attend till the matter works its manner via that nation’s authorized system. “People are all the time shocked at this,” he stated. “They are saying, ‘Can’t you simply ship me house?’”
However, because the U.S. State Division web site states, its personnel can not get an American citizen out of jail, present authorized recommendation, or inform a court docket that the citizen is harmless or responsible.
Ramsey can’t resume his work with the Huge 6; he’s barred from formally getting a job or doing something however wait in Bermuda. He additionally can not set up a residence there, so he has been staying in church buildings who’re sympathetic to him, with household and mates serving to with residing bills.

No Energetic Expenses, He Says
At first, Ramsey was solely advised he was underneath investigation. At one level he was notified that he was being charged with “transporting prison proceeds” out of Bermuda.
Ramsey has handed over all of his banking info; it matched along with his account of occasions, officers advised him. He has given a timeline of all over the place he went whereas in Bermuda, the place there are cameras on almost each nook that may confirm his whereabouts, he stated.
For the primary few weeks, even the primary few months, he believed it was a mere misunderstanding. As soon as he defined the scenario, the misunderstanding can be cleared up.
That hasn’t been the case. Ramsey stated that he nonetheless doesn’t know what he’s being charged with — if something, he stated. At one level, due to people again house, he was in a position to pay bail to remain out of custody, so technically he’s out on bail. However nothing has moved ahead. He has been given a number of court docket dates, however they haven’t shed any gentle on his case. Every time, he goes to the courthouse, nothing occurs, and he’s given a brand new court docket date.
He most must get into court docket for a significant listening to, to clear up this matter, he stated.
In spite of everything, he stated, he hasn’t executed something to warrant being handled as a prison. He simply tried to hold out barely extra money than allowed. In the course of the eight days earlier than he was stopped within the airport, he talked to some venue homeowners, ate at eating places, took a yacht journey, swam and sunbathed on the seashore.
He made no cash in Bermuda, he stated. So there have been no proceeds in any respect from his journey – a lot much less prison proceeds, he stated.
The Lens had scant luck getting solutions about his scenario from authorities. Since Bermuda is a self-governing British Abroad Territory, questions from The Lens concerning what — if any — costs Ramsey is dealing with had been directed to the British embassy in Washington, D.C. Nobody had responded at press time Thursday night.
Members of the family stated that Rep. Troy Carter is attempting to achieve out to Bermuda officers, to see if higher communication with authorities may help him return house. However Carter’s workplace can not affirm with The Lens about something executed on behalf of Ramsey or any constituents, due to confidentiality agreements, a spokesman stated. In the meantime, the U.S. Embassy has executed what it’s allowed to do: keep in contact with him, be sure he’s wholesome and in a position to talk with folks again house. However by State Division rules, their personnel can not inform a international court docket that he’s harmless or responsible or assist him get a lawyer.
His Huge 6 bandmates imagine that it’s time for him to get off the island. They’re decided to lift cash for a lawyer who can get him into court docket, to clear his title. So on Friday, they’re throwing a profit live performance known as #BringPeanutHome.
To his cousin Walter Ramsey, who helped to lift his youthful cousin, the scenario has grow to be more and more pressing. “It’s like my little one is caught in Bermuda,” he stated. “To my information, it simply drew crimson flags that he was carrying money. However now, they maintain pushing court docket dates again they usually haven’t introduced any costs. If it was one thing unlawful, then we should always know that by now. However we don’t know none of that.”
Friday’s profit live performance for Ramsey shall be held at The Rabbit Gap, 1228 Oretha Fortress Haley Blvd. It begins at 7 p.m.
Notice: After the story printed, The Music & Tradition Coalition of New Orleans additionally arrange a donation hyperlink: https://bit.ly/BringPeanutHome