John Manchec, 78, has been held in the Indian River County Jail awaiting trial on possession of child porn, and he’s been plotting to escape back to France. Unfortunately for him, the Indian River Sheriff’s office was one step ahead of him.
The sheriff’s office received a tip from outside the jail that sparked a two-month investigation of Manchec, and people he had enlisted in his escape plan, Indian River County Sheriff Eric Flowers said Monday during a news conference.
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“Essentially, the plan comes down to this,” Sheriff Flowers said. “These folks that are on the outside are going to wait until Manchec has a doctor’s visit, and they are going to take out our corrections staff while he’s out at the medical facility.”
The plan called for Manchec’s employees to pepper-spray prison guards and take him to his private plane in nearby Fort Pierce and fly back to France, Flowers said.
Manchec has dual U.S. and French citizenship, Flowers said.
Manchec was arrested in 2014 on 49 child pornography charges. Flowers said he left the country to avoid prosecution after posting a nearly $500,000 bond and moved to his medieval estate in southern France, the Chateau Pechrigal.
France denied U.S. attempts to extradite him, but he was eventually arrested in the Dominican Republic in 2020 and returned to Florida, according to the sheriff.
The sheriff said that Manchec was denied permission to leave the jail in January, claiming he suffered from chronic medical conditions and because he broke his hip and wrist late last year.
The escape plot centered on a medical appointment set for April 12, but at least one person tipped off law enforcement, allowing investigators to unravel the plot.
An examination of Manchec’s jail phone records discovered he used the code words “paint job” while talking with his employees about the plot.
Multi-millionaire planned to escape US prison and take private plane to French chateau | US News – https://t.co/IvhMf193ah{
A multi-millionaire's elaborate prison escape plan has been foiled by authorities after a two-month investigation.John Manchec's plan invo… pic.twitter.com/cWYd2TwrU0
— Eric Thompson (@isearch247) May 24, 2023
A millionaire’s plan to escape from a Florida county jail and flee the country to was foiledhttps://t.co/IZTy2DhToc
— New York Daily News (@NYDailyNews) May 24, 2023
They were to prepare his plane, his 140-foot (42-meter) yacht, a black utility van, and other vehicles purchased just for the escape attempt, Flowers said.
Manchec even paid the bail for a cellmate and allowed him to live in his home. The sheriff said that person helped prepare for the escape, down to packing a suitcase and his favorite liquor.
Flowers said the plan was to go “back to his castle in France” and never face the charges.
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Manchec remains in the Indian River County Jail, with charges added for the escape attempt. Two inmates and two county employees were also arrested and charged with conspiracy in the escape plot.
Manchec was initially arrested in December 2014 following a child pornography investigation by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE).
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