Rearrested and Returned to US After Traveling to the Caribbean

Dual citizenship could have helped this man avoid spending the rest of his life in prison and extradition to the US, despite facing serious charges.

John Manchec, a 78-year-old millionaire from Florida, had devised an elaborate plan to escape from prison and flee to his medieval castle in France. However, prison staff foiled his plot, keeping him behind bars.

Manchec was arrested in 2014 on 46 charges related to child pornography and was released after posting a $500,000 bond. Despite having his US passport confiscated, Manchec, a dual citizen, still possessed a French passport.

Manchec skipped bail and fled to France. Despite the severity of his crimes, French authorities did not consider them grave enough to warrant extradition to the US. France does not extradite its own citizens.

During his time as a fugitive, Manchec resided in his French estate, Chateau Pechrigal, which he had purchased and renovated in 1998. In 2020, Manchec left France and traveled to the Caribbean. He was apprehended in the Dominican Republic and returned to Florida.

As his trial approached, Manchec, aware of the likelihood of dying in prison, made a last-ditch attempt to escape.

Manchec’s escape plan involved his employees and a former cellmate, and was set to be executed during a colonoscopy appointment. The plot was discovered following a tip from an individual outside the prison.

The escape plan involved pepper-spraying prison guards, after which Manchec would be taken to his private plane, The Navajo, in Fort Pierce, and flown to France. Two vehicles were purchased for the escape, and the area where Manchec would be taken for his colonoscopy was surveilled. However, the plot was exposed, and several individuals involved were arrested.

Manchec’s assets include a 140-foot yacht, a private plane, and his French castle, which features 19 bedrooms, 17 bathrooms, a private vineyard, a tennis court, a swimming pool, a gym, and a spa.

Despite his wealth, Manchec’s escape plan was thwarted, and he now faces charges of attempted escape.