Case of Utah County teacher highlights challenges of foreign extradition matters

Jan 28, 2025, 7:39 PM

PROVO – When news first circulated that an Eagle Mountain teacher was being charged with 30 felonies in connection with alleged sexual abuse of two students, prosecutors said it appeared the man had left the country.

39-year-old Ricardo Margalho Prins, they said, returned to his home country of Brazil shortly after they received the case.

Roughly two weeks after charges were announced, Utah County Attorney Jeff Gray said Tuesday it was looking unlikely that they would be able to extradite Prins from Brazil based on information they had received.

 Ricardo Prins is accused of sexually abusing two students and fled to Brazil. (KSL TV)

“Under (Brazil’s) constitution, if you’re a Brazilian-born citizen, then they won’t extradite,” Gray said during an interview with KSL TV. “The information that we received from Homeland Security and ICE is that when he came to the United States, he applied as a Brazilian-born citizen. He first received a student visa and then was granted a work visa as well.”

Gray said he was working with the U.S. Attorney’s Office on a federal unlawful flight complaint and still planned to pursue the matter with Brazil.

“We’re going to make Brazil tell us that — that’s my plan,” Gray said. “Ultimately it will be up to the Brazilian Supreme Court to decide whether or not they extradite him. We’re relying on two things — one, cooperation with the U.S. Attorney’s Office and, two, the Brazilian government, and if the information that we’ve received so far proves accurate, it’s very likely they’ll deny it.”

Extradition Cases

The Prins case is one of a few recent foreign extradition cases that have made headlines in Utah.

Also in Utah County, prosecutors worked for over two years to extradite Nicholas Rossi as he fought extradition from Scotland. He now is in Utah facing rape charges in separate cases in Utah County and Salt Lake County.

Nicholas Rossi, the man accused of faking his own death and fleeing the country to avoid rape charges. (KSL TV)

Meanwhile, law enforcement and prosecutors from Uintah County were working to locate suspect Henry Resuera in the October killing of Kimberly Hyde. Court documents stated Resuera flew to the Philippines.

As of Tuesday evening, attempts to reach the Uintah County Attorney for comment on Resuera’s status had not yet been met with a response.

Extradition Challenges

The cases appeared, in their own ways, to highlight the lengthy time periods and challenges common in foreign extradition cases.

Greg Skordas, a KSL legal analyst and a former prosecutor, said under the best-case scenario, extradition proceedings with a cooperative foreign country could be completed in weeks to months, but he acknowledged in the worst-case scenario, extradition could take years, decades, or may never happen.

“A lot of people move to a different country, and they also change their identity, and they could be gone for years, maybe decades,” Skordas said.

According to Skordas, even proving a suspect’s identity can take significant time.

“You may have to have a witness or a police officer, or some sort of identification hearing in the country where the suspect is located, to show that he’s in fact the same person that you’re wanting in the United States,” Skordas said.

Skordas said in extradition cases, prosecutors will often weigh what the relationship or extradition agreements are with foreign countries and whether moving forward is financially worth it given the alleged crime.

“For a serious sex crime, violent crime or a homicide, the equation is different,” Skordas said. “The United States and the State of Utah will probably take whatever steps are necessary — even financially — to extradite that person from the other country back to Utah.”

While foreign extradition cases can often prove difficult, Skordas maintained they are also commonly successful even if it takes an extended amount of time.

“It’s hard to hide out, no matter who you are and no matter where you go,” Skordas said.

Gray pointed to the Rossi case as evidence that extradition efforts can be successful.

Prins Case

“Ricardo Prins — if he turns out to, in fact, be a Brazilian-born citizen and stays there, we’ll never be able to get him,” Gray said.

Gray said, however, if Brazil does not agree to eventually extradite Prins, prosecutors have additional options. He said he would likely work with federal authorities to obtain a “Red Notice,” which is effectively a worldwide warrant that puts police internationally on notice to watch for Prins and arrest him if he leaves Brazil.

Despite the obstacles, Gray remained committed to finding Prins and having him face prosecution.

“(It’s) very frustrating, but it’s kind of the world we live in,” Gray said of the challenges involving suspects who flee to foreign countries. “We’re willing to do what it takes to bring them back to Utah and to bring them to justice.”

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Case of Utah County teacher highlights challenges of foreign extradition matters