Arizona police said their second-most-wanted fugitive was arrested in France after spending nearly 14 years on the run following a conviction for sexual exploitation of a minor.
Michael Wiseman was taken into custody in France on Nov. 1 and will be extradited to the United States. He also faces a separate charge in France of rape and sexual assault of a minor under the age of 15 years old.
Wiseman was first arrested in Arizona in February 2008 on multiple counts of sexual exploitation of a minor, the Scottsdale Police Department said in a news release. In November of that year, while under court-ordered monitoring, he cut off his ankle bracelet and fled the U.S., police said.
He was later tracked to Spain, where he was arrested in 2009, and was brought back to the U.S. and pleaded guilty to escape and sexual exploitation of a minor, police said. In 2012 he was sentenced but fled again while out on probation, police said.
Police Sgt. Dustin Patrick told KPNX of Mesa that Wiseman was captured after he tried applying for a pilot’s license in Spain using his real name. Patrick told KPNX that investigators discovered that Wiseman had adopted two children in Vietnam and had obtained a legitimate Polish passport under his alias.
“His potential employer Googled his name and found that he was on Scottsdale’s most wanted list and called Spain authorities,” Patrick told the news station.
Detectives continued searching for Wiseman, eventually learning that he had traveled to Vietnam and Poland before settling in France. By this time, he was using the alias Robert Danilewski, the news release states.
In September, police in Scottsdale, working with the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office, submitted a provisional arrest warrant to the Department of Justice Office of International Affairs to apprehend Wiseman.
The warrant was forwarded to French authorities, who confirmed that he was living in Kilstett, France.
It was not immediately clear if Wiseman has an attorney representing him.
Police Chief Joe LeDuc said tireless work led law enforcement to Wiseman.
“Nearly two decades ago, this individual fled from accountability. Our detectives never stopped working to bring him justice,” he said in a statement. “This arrest reflects years of persistence, teamwork, and an unwavering commitment to protecting children. We are deeply grateful for the FBI’s partnership and their continued support in this case.”
In addition to the arrest warrant related to the Scottsdale case, Wiseman was charged by French police with rape and sexual assault of a child. Detectives gained access to his email address and found videos that involved Wiseman sexually abusing a child, Scottsdale police said.
“Without the efforts to find Wiseman for extradition, this new evidence of his ongoing crimes may have never been discovered,” police said.
