SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) — Utah Senator Mike Lee called out President Joe Biden to release the imprisoned Navy Lieutenant currently being held in a Los Angeles federal prison after over 500 days behind bars in Japan.

On social media Friday, Lee directed a post toward Biden saying he refused to believe the president was going to let Navy Lt. Ridge Alkonis remain incarcerated through Christmas. Lee said Biden “knows full well” Alkonis doesn’t belong in prison.

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“You’re better than that. Alknois certainly deserves better than that. So does his family,” wrote Lee. “Fix this now!”

Alkonis was booked in the LA federal prison earlier this month following his transfer from Japan. The Navy Lt. was sentenced to three years in a Japanese prison following a fatal crash in May 2021. A Japanese Judge had determined Alkonis had fallen asleep at the wheel, leading to the crash and the deaths of two Japanese citizens. A U.S.-led investigation reported Alkonis had suffered from acute altitude sickness causing him to lose consciousness.

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Alkonis spent 507 days in Japanese prison until his transfer to the United States on Dec. 15. While the exact details of the agreement for his transfer remain unclear, Alkonis was transferred to the U.S. as part of the International Prisoner Transfer program.

The U.S. Department of Justice said the purpose of the program is to not only facilitate the rehabilitation of transferred offenders but also to relieve some administration and diplomatic issues that arise with the imprisonment of foreign nationals.

Lee has long advocated for Alkonis’ release, calling the Navy Lt. an American Hero who deserves more than being locked up in a United States prison. Lee claimed no other country would have punished Alkonis for the tragic accident in Japan.

Ridge Alkonis’ wife, Brittany, said on social media that she is still holding out hope Biden will release her husband of this “two and half year nightmare.”

During a media briefing at the White House on Tuesday, Dec. 19, a reporter asked National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby if President Biden was committed to releasing Alkonis before Christmas.

“I want to be careful here I don’t get too much into what is still a legal process,” replied Kirby. “So, I think, to be safe, I’m going to refer you to the Justice Department on this particular case.”

A spokesperson for the U.S. Department of Justice simply confirmed Ridge Alkonis was being held in custody at the Federal Bureau of Prisons at the Metropolitan Detention Center Los Angeles and did not expand on the possibility of his release.

The spokesperson said a hearing for Alkonis would be held within 180 days from the date of his transfer.

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