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 (Oct. 22) -- A former Florida State football player who traveled to Singapore to get medical treatment for his pregnant wife now faces possible caning for overstaying his tourist visa. He would be the first U.S. citizen flogged in Singapore in 16 years.Kamari Charlton, 37, was a reserve tight end for FSU from 1992 to 1996, according to NBC Sports . He now owns a construction company in his native Bahamas, where he lives with his wife. When they traveled to Singapore late last year, Charlton's wife was on a six-month medical visa, while her husband had only a three-month tourist visa.He was arrested at the airport while trying to leave Singapore on Sept. 1, having overstayed his visa by 169 days, according to court documents excerpted by CNN . His wife was allowed to fly home to the Bahamas, and Charlton has been in jail since then.The former football star faces a mandatory sentence of three strokes of the cane and a six-month prison sentence, if found guilty. He has a preliminary hearing in a Singapore courtroom today.Charlton would be the first American caned in Singapore since 1994, when teenager Michael Fay was punished for vandalism. U.S. officials in the Clinton administration tried to intervene, but Fay's caning went ahead, though the government reduced the number of lashes.In August, a Swiss man got three strokes of the cane and seven months in prison for spraying graffiti on a train.U.S. Embassy officials have visited Charlton six times since he was arrested, Embassy spokeswoman Rachel Ehrendreich told CNN. "We remind U.S. citizens that foreigners in any country are subject to the laws of that country," she said. "We respect Singapore's right to try and sentence individuals within due process of law."In a court filing, Charlton acknowledged overstaying his visa, blaming it on bad advice he received from other foreigners in Singapore, The Wall Street Journal reported . But he's asking for leniency because unlike most immigration offenders, Charlton did not overstay his visa to take advantage of Singapore's strong economy by working illegally. Rather, he was assisting his ill wife.Charlton's wife's stay in Singapore was legal because she was on a medical visa, seeking treatment for complications in her pregnancy. The nature of her illness is unclear, as is the reason why the couple chose Singapore for treatment.Singapore has one of the lowest crime rates in the world, but human rights groups have criticized the city-state for harsh punishments like caning and excessive penalties like hanging drug dealers. ||||| An American who already may be caned for overstaying his visa in Singapore was charged with fraud Friday for allegedly scamming an Australian man out of thousands of dollars. 
 
 Prosecutors alleged Friday that calls made from Kamari Charlton's mobile phone in March deceived Mirko Prskalo into sending 17,145 Australian dollars ($16,853) in four payments. Prskalo was told that his nephew and family in Singapore urgently needed the money, court documents showed. 
 
 Police said they are also investigating Charlton for money laundering. 
 
 The 37-year-old Charlton was a reserve tight end and special teams player for Florida State University in the mid-1990s. He was arrested Sept. 1 when he attempted to leave the city-state 169 days after his 90-day social visit pass expired. 
 
 Staying in Singapore more than 90 days after the end of a visa is punishable with a maximum jail term of six months and at least three cane strokes. Cheating is punished with imprisonment of up to 10 years and a fine. 
 
 If found guilty of the visa charge, Charlton would be the first American citizen caned in Singapore since 1994, when then-teenager Michael Fay was punished for vandalism. 
 
 U.S. State Department spokesman Mark Toner said Thursday that Charlton's case was being closely monitored by the U.S. Embassy, which was providing consular assistance. 
 
 Charlton changed lawyers Friday, dropping M. Ravi and hiring Hamidul Haq of Rajah & Tann. Haq declined to comment about whether his client planned to fight the charges. 
 
 Ravi had said Thursday that Charlton was in Singapore to accompany his wife who received medical care for pregnancy complications. 
 
 Police said Friday they were tipped off by criminal complaints made against Charlton through Interpol, the Lyon, France-based international police agency. 
 
 Charlton, who was born in the Bahamas, played in 11 games as a senior at Florida State in 1996. He was suspended by FSU in 1994 when he was charged with battery and sexual battery, and was later reinstated on the team when he was acquitted of all charges. 
 
 Haq said Charlton was previously offered bail but declined to pay it and will likely be detained at least until a pre-trail conference on Oct. 29.
– An American citizen who faces caning in Singapore after overstaying his tourist visa has also been charged with fraud, the AP reports. The former Florida State football player was already at risk of being the first American to be caned in Singapore since 1994. Now he’s been slapped with charges of tricking an Australian man into paying him more than $16,000. Kamari Charlton traveled to Singapore to get medical treatment for his wife, who was on a medical visa while her husband was on a shorter tourist visa, AOL News reports; he was nabbed by authorities at the airport last month having overstayed his visa by 169 days. Now authorities say he made phone calls to an Australian man, warning him that his family needed cash for a medical emergency. On top of all that, Charlton is under investigation for money laundering. Click here for more.