Chicago area pilot trapped in Guinea says White House not doing enough to help him

A Chicago area pilot said the White House has failed to step in to help him and his co-pilot, who have been left stranded for months in West Africa after being arrested for what they said was a routine fuel stop in Guinea.

Brad Schlenker and his co-pilot, Fabio Nunez, of New Jersey, were arrested after making what they said was a routine fuel stop in Guinea in December.

Schlenker has maintained he did nothing wrong when he landed a private plane in Guinea. That fuel stop turned into a monthslong legal nightmare overseas, and he said he's growing increasingly frustrated with no sign of being able to return home.

"I've been here now 112 days," Schlenker said.

He and Nunez were detained after landing a private plane in Guinea for fuel while flying a family to Dubai in December.

"One moment, I'm flying a nice airplane, staying in nice hotels all around the world, and the next I'm in a Guinea prison," Schlenker said.

He was locked up for 2 ½ months before he was released on bail, but he hasn't been allowed to leave the country as the case moves through the courts. He's now on house arrest at a hotel in Guinea.

"You can't really see the reality down there, but let's just say it's not like downtown Chicago. It's filthy," he said.

A pilot for 36 years, Schlenker said he went through all the correct channels before the plane took off at the end of December, filing a flight plan that was approved.

"We received our clearance, we took off, we showed up over here, talked to the tower, talked to [air traffic control] – bottom line is they cleared us to land," he said.

Instead of refueling, Schlenker said he and Nunez were met by armed military personnel, arrested, and later accused of violating national security laws.

"They searched the aircraft five times, and they didn't find anything," he said. "The legal system here, you can't even fathom."

Schlenker's family in Chicago has been helping him get legal assistance and security on the ground in Guinea.

"Without family, I'd be in a lot of trouble," he said. "They've stepped up financially. Without brothers, father, I would be screwed."

Schlenker said he expected more support from U.S. officials. He's calling on federal leaders to step in, but for now, he and Nunez remain in guinea, waiting and hoping for a diplomatic breakthrough.

"I'm begging for the goodwill of this judicial system to do the right thing and let me go home," he said.

The U.S. State Department said the safety of Americans abroad remains a top priority. It is engaged behind the scenes, and officials have visited the pilots while they were detained.

CBS News Chicago has reached out to the White House for an update on their involvement in Schlenker's case.

Schlenker has a court date coming up in the next few days, so he's hopeful there might be a turn in the case coming.