Ukraine Run, But You Can't Hide

Nine months after his arrival in Eastern Europe, Turcotte's luck finally ran out. He was arrested by Ukrainian authorities in Kiev in early November 2009 as he tried to board a flight to Rome, Italy.Officials reportedly stopped Turcotte because he was attempting to use a fake name and a fake French passport. Coincidentally, John Walsh and an America’s Most Wanted camera crew were making their way to Kiev around the same time as Turcotte’s arrest.AMW had joined the manhunt months earlier and our team was in Kiev with DEA officials to videotape some scenes for our broadcast about Turcotte on November 21, 2009.Within days of his arrest, Turcotte was removed from Ukrainian custody and deported by officials of that country. He was promptly placed on a one-way Aerosvit Airlines flight from Kiev bound for his home country of Canada.
However, when Turcotte attempted to make a connecting flight to Canada at New York’s JFK airport, DEA agents and a swarm of officials from other law enforcement agencies were waiting for him. Jerry Aimee Turcotte was finally taken into U.S. federal custody after being wanted in 188 countries and after a manhunt spanning three continents and as many years.On November 16, 2009, Turcotte was flown to San Diego, Calif., where he faces drug charges that could potentially put him behind bars for life.