▁of ▁land ▁sales ▁fra ud . ▁His ▁conv iction ▁on ▁the ▁fra ud ▁charges ▁was ▁over turn ed ▁on ▁appeal ; ▁his ▁conv iction ▁on ▁an ▁additional ▁charge ▁of ▁failure ▁to ▁appear ▁for ▁trial ▁was ▁u ph eld , ▁but ▁he ▁was ▁par o led ▁after ▁two ▁years ▁and ▁returned ▁to ▁Canada . ▁At ▁the ▁request ▁of ▁the ▁Canadian ▁government , ▁J aff e ▁decl ined ▁to ▁appear ▁at ▁a ▁new ▁Florida ▁trial ▁on ▁further ▁land ▁fra ud ▁charges ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 5 . ▁Joh ns en ▁and ▁K ear ▁were ▁extr ad ited ▁to ▁Canada ▁and ▁conv icted ▁of ▁kid n apping ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 6 , ▁but ▁were ▁set ▁free ▁pending ▁appeal , ▁and ▁their ▁sentences ▁were ▁reduced ▁to ▁time ▁served ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 9 , ▁after ▁which ▁they ▁returned ▁to ▁the ▁United ▁States . ▁The ▁J aff e ▁incident ▁caused ▁significant ▁t ensions ▁in ▁Canada – Un ited ▁States ▁relations , ▁and ▁resulted ▁in ▁a ▁ 1 9 8 8 ▁exchange ▁of ▁letters ▁between ▁the ▁two ▁countries ▁on ▁cross - border ▁kid n app ings . ▁ ▁Background ▁J aff e , ▁a ▁native ▁of ▁New ▁York , ▁moved ▁to ▁Canada ▁in ▁the ▁early ▁ 1 9 7 0 s . ▁In ▁Canada , ▁he ▁worked ▁as ▁an ▁international ▁econom ist . ▁After ▁his ▁move , ▁he ▁also ▁continued ▁to ▁do ▁business ▁in ▁the ▁United ▁States . ▁He ▁was ▁involved ▁in ▁land ▁de als ▁in ▁Put nam ▁County , ▁Florida ▁as ▁an ▁employee ▁of