Marc Fogel is not just a name in the headlines; he is a man with a family who has been through an unimaginable ordeal. Born and raised in Butler, Pennsylvania, Fogel grew up with strong family values that shaped his life. He married Jane Fogel, and together, they embarked on a life that took them across the world. Both educators, Marc and Jane spent decades teaching at international schools, living in places like Colombia, Malaysia, Oman, Venezuela, and Russia. For nearly a decade, they called Moscow home, where Marc worked at the prestigious Anglo-American School, teaching history to children of diplomats and expatriates.
Marc Fogel’s Wife, Jane, Their Married Life, and Two Children—All About His Family
In the summer of 2021, Jane and Marc Fogel had returned to the U.S. for vacation. Marc, then 61, had told Jane that he planned to retire after one more year in Moscow. It was a decision that would never come to fruition. On August 14, 2021, as the couple landed at Moscow’s Sheremetyevo International Airport, Russian authorities arrested Marc for carrying 17 grams of medical marijuana—prescribed in the U.S. for his chronic back pain. Jane was left stunned as her husband was taken into custody.
The Russian government treated Marc Fogel’s case with extreme severity. Despite carrying less than an ounce, he was convicted of drug smuggling and, in June 2022, was sentenced to an astonishing 14 years in a Russian penal colony. His family was devastated. Jane, their children, Ethan and Sam, and Marc’s elderly mother, Malphine, fought tirelessly for his release. His sister, Anne, residing in Montana, was one of his strongest advocates, constantly pressing the U.S. government to do more.
While the case of WNBA star Brittney Griner, who was arrested in February 2022 for a similar offense, gained worldwide attention and led to her release in December of that year, Marc’s case seemed to be left behind. The Fogel family was outraged when they learned that, for years, Marc had not even been classified as “wrongfully detained” by the U.S. State Department. His 95-year-old mother, Malphine, was especially vocal, demanding that her son receive the same treatment as other Americans detained abroad.
Then, in a shocking turn of events, things started moving quickly. At the end of President Joe Biden’s administration, Marc Fogel was finally designated as wrongfully detained. But it was under President Donald Trump’s administration that negotiations intensified. Trump had met with Malphine Fogel in July 2024, promising her that he would bring her son home.
On February 11, 2025, that promise was fulfilled. In a secret deal brokered by Trump’s special envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, Marc Fogel was released. Details of the negotiations remain unclear, but it was reported that Witkoff personally flew to Moscow to retrieve him. Unlike previous U.S.-Russia prisoner exchanges, where Americans were handed over in neutral countries, Marc’s release came as part of a direct diplomatic gesture between the two governments, hinting at a possible shift in U.S.-Russia relations.
For the Fogel family, the moment they had waited for finally arrived. Around 2 p.m. Eastern Time on February 11, 2025, they got the call: Marc was on a plane home. That evening, his wife Jane and their children rushed to Andrews Air Force Base in Washington, D.C., to meet him. His sister Anne, overwhelmed with emotion, described the moment as surreal. His mother, Malphine, who had feared she would never see her son again, was there to embrace him.
The family’s statement to the press summed up their emotions: “We are beyond grateful, relieved, and overwhelmed that after more than three years of detention, our father, husband, and son, Marc Fogel, is finally coming home. This has been the darkest and most painful period of our lives, but today, we begin to heal.”
Marc Fogel’s return, however, is only the beginning of his journey. After spending over three and a half years in harsh Russian detention conditions, he faces physical and psychological evaluations before he can return to a normal life. His family has expressed concerns about his health, given the substandard medical care he received in the penal colony. His dramatic weight loss and deteriorating spinal condition were alarming to those who saw him in prison visits. His wife Jane, who has been his unwavering support, is preparing for the long road to recovery ahead.
The Fogel family’s battle is also a larger story about justice, diplomacy, and the challenges faced by Americans detained abroad. While they celebrate Marc’s freedom, they also advocate for changes in U.S. policies regarding wrongful detentions, so that no other family has to endure what they did. For Jane, Ethan, Sam, Anne, and Malphine, Marc’s return is a victory, but also a reminder of the fragility of freedom when caught in the web of international politics.
