John Pyle- Florida- 2017 (CAPTURED)

(Above photo credit: herald-tribune.com)

Fugitive Profile as of June 18th, 2017: (Based on Florida Wanted Persons search website, additional articles)

Full Name: John Michael Pyle
Date of Birth: 11/23/1956
Race: White
Sex: Malw
Height: 5' 09"
Weight: 175
Hair Color: White
Eye Color: Blue
TIPS: Additional articles online suggest anyone with information on this fugitive's whereabouts should contact Crime Stoppers of Sarasota County: www.sarasotacrimestoppers.com/sitemenu.aspx?P=index&ID=109

From the Sarasota Herald-Tribune website:

Sarasota County resident facing 30 counts of possessing child pornography and up to 450 years in prison was last seen in 2016

It was impossible to miss John Pyle as he ran across the county in 2012. He was the burly guy with the white prospector’s mustache and red sunburned cheeks shuffling down desolate roads and major interstates while carrying the United States flag, reveling in the attention of his extraordinary endeavor each pain-ridden step of the way.

Pyle is back running these days, only this time from the law, essentially as a ghost, and his faint footprints have led to an industrial town in Mexico that may not even be the finish line.

Pyle is a Sarasota County resident who was charged with 30 counts of possessing child pornography in 2016 and was facing up to 450 years in prison. He posted a $90,000 bond and became a fugitive when he failed to show up for a court hearing on Oct. 23, 2017.

Though Pyle surrendered his passport as part of his bond, he was still able to board a Carnival Cruise Lines ship to Cozumel, Mexico, according a court document. Pyle then got off the boat and did not return.

For all intents and purposes he’s gotten away,″ said Ryan Raftery, vice president of A Way Out Bail Bonds in Punta Gorda, the company that bonded out Pyle.

The company said in a court document that it discovered Pyle’s whereabouts when Carnival Cruise Lines called Pyle’s brother and left a message stating Pyle had not returned to the ship in Cozumel. The company said it has a copy of the voice mail recording, and the information was verified by Brian Barrett, special deputy for the United States Marshals Service.

In January, Raftery wrote an email to Sarasota County assistant state attorney Amanda Gambert that said: “I have been informed by the U.S. Marshals Service that the warrant for his failure to appear is currently in NCIC (National Crime Information Center) as a national pickup. We have located the defendant in Cozumel, Mexico. Is there any way your office can change the warrant to a UFAP (Unlawful Flight to Avoid Prosecution) warrant and seek extradition?

“We would then be able to turn him into the local authorities in Mexico and get him brought back to face these charges.″

Five hours later, Gambert responded with an email that said: “Looking into it. Thank you.″

Pyle remains a fugitive.

The state attorney’s office did not return a phone call from the Herald-Tribune seeking comment on Monday.

Apparently Pyle wasn’t in Cozumel long. On Feb. 16, according to a court document, a fugitive recovery person named Rolando Betancourt traveled to Apodoco, Nuevo Leon, Mexico, which is an industrial town 1,580 miles north of Cozumel. He apparently had Pyle in his sights there.

“We were pretty close (to him),″ Raftery said. “If we would have had the green light we would have taken him into custody.″

Not having the proper warrant was the reason Pyle was not detained, Raftery said, voicing his displeasure in the process.

“The state of Florida is notorious for exporting criminals,″ Raftery said. “It would make your head spin, the amount of criminals being exported out of the state. This is not uncommon.

“Nobody wants to see these guys brought to justice. If they did, then why not go after them?″

On June 24, 2016, detectives searched Pyle’s condo on South Osprey Avenue after receiving three tips from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, records show.

According to his arrest report, detectives searched Pyle’s laptop and discovered 31 images of child pornography and an additional 15 images containing sexual misconduct and two images of child pornography involving bondage, one of which involved a 1-year-old girl.

Pyle was once well-known within the area’s running community and even beyond, especially in the tight-knit world of ultra-endurance runners.

In an attempt to raise money for the Wounded Warriors Project, Pyle claimed to have run 3,273 miles from San Francisco to Key West, starting on March 1, 2012, and ending on May 20 of the same year.

Included was 1,000 miles through the desert while wearing ski goggles and 800 miles through Texas, he said. Pyle carried the flag each step of way and was always a willing interview subject for local television stations. He was even recognized at a major-league baseball game when he ran through Houston. Part of the journey was documented on YouTube.

According to a story in the Herald-Tribune, Pyle said he ran 83 straight days, averaging 39.69 miles per day. He went through 22 pairs of shoes, 166 Band-Aids and 200 gallons of water.

The story also mentioned the words on one of his tattoos: “Success requires relentless forward progress.″

Pyle is still running, perhaps now in Mexico, though Raftery thinks he is no longer there.

“There is a belief he has left Mexico,″ Raftery said. “It was probably just a landing spot.

“He literally could be anywhere.″

www.heraldtribune.com/news/20180604/fugitive-from-sarasota-spotted-in-mexico-still-on-run



Thoughts? Not trying to make a joke here but it's not too often we see a fugitive who has literally been on the run. Of course, even with some seeming photo and video evidence, I suppose it's theoretically possible to now question how much of his claims during his cross-country trip are true now, considering he's now someone who allegedly fooled the public into thinking he was a model citizen.

Also, I looked up and apparently you don't need a passport for a cruise if it begins and end at the same U.S. port (loop-to-loop tour) even if it stops in another country. So this is how Pyle got to Cozumel. (Since the cruise began and ended in Florida) I hate to admit this, but it was a smart move on his part, and quite frankly (but thankfully) I'm surprised I don't read about more fugitives attempting this. Of course, he now has people just as smart as he is trying to track him down, and I hope they succeed in doing so. (Well, they basically did track him down already, so rather I hope they succeed in next time being actually allowed to arrest him).

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