Palo Alto man returns to U.S. after being imprisoned in Nepal

PALO ALTO, Calif. (KGO) -- Wolf Price is celebrating his first full day of freedom after serving 5 months and 8 days in a prison in Nepal.

"I'm really glad to be back...back to my roots," Price said.

Wolf is a filmmaker who spent the last 12 years off and on in Nepal. Five years ago he created a nonprofit to help educate and shelter young women and girls. His humanitarian work was cut short 5 months ago when police arrested him on marijuana charges.

Price says the drugs were planted, but the 31-year-old wound up in prison.

His mother, Mary Bartnikowski, said she was shocked to hear of his arrest. "It was terrifying because of the unknown."

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She started a GoFundMe campaign to pay for a local attorney in Nepal. After her son's hearings were repeatedly delayed, she traveled to Kathmandu and spent six weeks working to get him released.

She said, "I felt I did everything I could here in California, so I prayed and got the answer go now."

The mother says her son changed lives in Nepal, building homes and helping start small businesses. He's been forced to leave all that behind.

Price said, "I was able to make a good impact while I was there and that's able to stay with the individuals I helped, and the legacy will carry on."

Now He plans to use his passion and skills back home in the Bay Area.

"It's not just starting over, it's actually going back to my original inspiration for doing social work."

Price says he doubts he'll ever travel to Nepal again.