‘90 Day Fiancé’ Alum Seeks to Overturn Child Pornography Conviction, Cites Attorney Ineffectiveness

Michael Eloshway, a former cast member of the TLC reality series ‘90 Day Fiancé,’ is petitioning a federal court to overturn his 2024 conviction for possession and distribution of child pornography. Eloshway, who is serving a 10-year prison sentence, contends that his trial attorney was ineffective and failed to take necessary steps to defend him, leading to a flawed legal process.

In a motion filed in an Ohio federal court, Eloshway, 44, argues that his legal counsel did not procure a digital forensic expert to examine evidence seized from his computer. He also claims that his attorney's performance was inadequate during jury selection and the trial itself. Eloshway is seeking to have his convictions and sentence vacated so he can enter a plea to the indictment and pursue a potentially lighter sentence than the one he received.

Eloshway's legal troubles began after a series of personal hardships, including a car accident, the suicide of a friend, and multiple family deaths and illnesses. He stated in his motion that he was looking at a lot of pornography and inadvertently downloaded child pornography from a file-sharing site called BitTorrent, where he received over 1,000 files at a time. Eloshway maintains he did not intend to download or distribute the illegal material.

Prosecutors, however, stated that Eloshway observed child pornography in batches and continued to use BitTorrent even after becoming aware of the illegal content. In May 2023, officials reportedly found approximately 8,000 images on his computer, 62 of which had been shared. Eloshway was convicted in October 2024 and subsequently sentenced to 10 years in prison, fined $15,000, and ordered to serve 10 years of probation. He is also required to register as a sex offender and is prohibited from contacting minors without authorization from his probation officer.

This is not the first time Eloshway has sought to have his conviction overturned. He appealed last year, claiming his lawyer's performance fell below professional standards and that the presiding judge imposed an unreasonable sentence. The United States Court of Appeals denied his previous appeal, rejecting his claims of subpar representation and an unreasonable sentence.

During his sentencing, Eloshway's spouse, Aziza Eloshway, submitted a letter to the court describing him as a loving father and husband, asserting that the conviction did not reflect his true character. She stated that he was experiencing immense guilt and regret over his actions.