Contrary to his last name, Michael Wiseman does not sound terribly sagacious.
Learning from mistakes?
Not this double fugitive – who was recently arrested in France following an investigation by the Scottsdale Police Department.
Back in 2008, Scottsdale detectives followed complaints of suspicious activity around children with an investigation and subsequent arrest of Wiseman for sexual exploitation of a minor.
Rather than face trial, he cut off a monitoring ankle bracelet and fled the country, living abroad for two years
“He was applying for a pilot’s license in Spain,” said Scottsdale Police Sgt. Dustin Patrick. “His (potential) employer Googled him.”
Responding to the employer’s tip, the FBI hauled Wiseman back to Arizona, where he accepted a plea deal: two years in prison and “probation for the rest of his life.”
When he was released from confinement, the former airline pilot took off again.
“He fled to avoid probation,” Patrick said. “You have to assume he was avoiding the stigma of being labeled a sex offender.”
Wiseman was on the run for more than a decade, perhaps figuring he was safe under an assumed identity in Europe.
But the Scottsdale Police Department refused to give up on the man they considered the city’s second most-wanted fugitive.
“I got the case in 2022,” Patrick said. “We’ve been working on it since then.”
While his warrants for probation violation were relatively minor, Scottsdale detectives digitally tracked him down and discovered his criminal activity was continuing.
They learned Wiseman fled to Vietnam and Poland before settling in France as “Robert Danilewski.” Patrick said he found a Facebook post of Wiseman while he was teaching in Vietnam; a deeper dive showed he adopted two children there before moving to Poland.
Patrick and the Scottsdale team discovered a passport issued by the Polish embassy in Vietnam. They tracked Wiseman to an address in Poland – but cooperating authorities who knocked on his door there learned from neighbors Wiseman had just moved.
“All we knew was he moved to France,” Patrick said. “The case went cold again.”
Then, earlier this year, Scottsdale detectives found a Google account that was being used to communicate to Wiseman.
Subsequent international warrants written by Patrick were granted, with Google agreeing to turn over content of an email address linked to Wiseman.
“In October, we got access to content where (Wiseman) was sexually abusing a little boy,” Patrick said.
Scottsdale quickly turned over the video to the FBI, who contacted French authorities.
According to a Scottsdale Police press release, French law enforcement officers took Wiseman into custody Nov. 1, charging Wiseman with “rape and sexual assault of a minor under 15 years of age.”
Wiseman celebrated his 51st birthday Nov. 11 in a French jail.
“He is certainly facing prison time in France,” Patrick said.
“Unless he gets life in prison in France, he will be extradited and eventually be brought back here.”
Patrick deflects praise for his efforts tracking down the fugitive.
“My name is on a lot of warrants – but this was a team effort,” Patrick said. “We had six detectives and an analyst working the case.”
Scottsdale Police Chief Joe LeDuc praised his detectives.
“Nearly two decades ago, this individual fled from accountability,” LeDuc said, after Wiseman’s arrest.
“Our detectives never stopped working to bring him to justice. This arrest reflects years of persistence, teamwork, and an unwavering commitment to protecting children.”
LeDuc noted his team worked closely with the FBI and other law enforcement partners on the complex case.
“Thanks to the tireless dedication of law enforcement,” added Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell, “justice has finally caught up to this predator, and he isn’t free to harm another child.”
BOX PLEASE
Most Wanted
If Wiseman was No. 2 – who is Scottsdale’s “Most Wanted”?
“Scottsdale PD’s No. 1 most wanted is still Robert Fisher, who is the prime suspect in the murder of his wife and two children in 2001,” Bolin said.
The No. 3 most wanted was Gloria Schulze – who died in Canada last year. Schulze was on the run for 30 years, fleeing charges she caused a traffic collision that killed 21-year-old Angela Maher.