An American marine captain has reportedly been held against his will in the UAE for a decade.

Ten years ago, Captain Ray Clevinger was at the peak of a successful 21-career as a captain steering large ships in the country's booming oil industry. Then, on March 9, 2005, Clevinger was struck by a massive heart attack and hospitalized.

While in the hospital, he didn't bother making the regular payments on his credit card as he had previously taken out "credit shield" through his insurance, planning ahead for just such emergencies. As he understood, the "credit shield" would automatically activate and ensure that his payments were covered.

He was wrong, and the bank declined to accept the automatic coverage.

In July of 2005, he was terminated from his position as his company saw him unfit to continue working with such a serious heart condition. Undeterred, he went out and quickly found a new job in the UAE. All he needed was to renew his captain's license, which was due to expire.

However, because of the unpaid credit card bills, the bank imposed a travel ban on Clevinger, forbidding him from leaving the country. He was thus stuck without the ability to renew his license, preventing him from working as a captain, and in debt.

“This is where all of my troubles stem from,” Clevinger told Gulf News.

“If they had just let me go back to work, this would have all been settled and I would still have a normal life.”

For the past decade, Clevinger has barely managed to stay afloat finding odd jobs as the bank has ignored his attempts to resolve the situation. Now, at 62, Clevinger sits daily in an apartment without electricity awaiting eviction and with no where to turn for support.

As a last resort he plans to sue the bank for mental, physical and financial damages he says stem directly from the wrongful travel ban. Clevinger didn't just lose 10 years of his career and suffer financial hardship, he has been unable to see his family and friends.

Five years ago, he learned through mail that his mother had passed away.

"It was very upsetting and I tried to discover when she died and where she died and where she is buried. I still know nothing as I do not have her social insurance number," he said.

And he remains separated from his family.

"My ex-wife of my two sons has Stage 4 cervical cancer and has a short time to live. She would like to see me before she dies. It’s very depressing."

Although the bank assured Gulf News that it wants to help Clevinger, it seems after ten years, it isn't in any hurry to do so.

A legal notice sent to the bank earlier this year by Clevinger's lawyers says, "[our client] suffered severe damages — mentally, physically, financially and in all means as a result of the travel ban for a span of nine years and is entitled as per the law for damages. Our client has approached your esteemed bank several times to sort out the issue but you had not taken any serious attention towards our client’s repeated requests."

The bank was further warned that it "had not followed the procedures as stipulated by the UAE laws because as per UAE Civil Procedure, the creditor should file a civil case within eight days after the travel ban was passed."

Clevinger plans to sue the bank for 2 million dirhams ($544,492) in damages.

"I've reached the end of my rope. I have nowhere else to turn,” he said.

If he wins, he may finally be able to leave the UAE but no amount of money will replace the 10 difficult years that were taken from him.