Marc Fogel Age, Wife, Children, Family, Biography

Quick Info→

Hometown: Oakmont, Pennsylvania

Age: 63 Years

Wife: Jane Fogel

Bio/Wiki
Full Name	Marc Hilliard Fogel
Profession	High School Teacher
Famous Role
Physical Stats
Height (approx.)	6' (183 cm)
Eye Colour	Brown
Hair Colour	Salt & Pepper
Personal Life
Date of Birth	28 July 1961 (Friday)
Age (as of 2024)	63 Years
Birthplace	Butler, Pennsylvania, USA
Zodiac sign	Leo
Nationality	American
Hometown	Oakmont, Pennsylvania
College/University	Indiana University of Pennsylvania
Educational Qualification	Graduate
Food Habit	Non-vegetarian
Controversy	Arrest Over Medical Cannabis: In August 2021, Marc Fogel was arrested in Russia for carrying medical cannabis, which had been prescribed to him in the US for pain. In 2022, he was convicted to drug trafficking and sentenced to 14 years in prison. Over time, efforts to free him, including a petition and government appeals, increased. In 2024, the US officially declared him wrongfully detained. In February 2025, Fogel was released through negotiations led by President Donald Trump, and he returned to the US. ^[1]Politico
Relationships & More
Marital Status	Married
Family
Wife/Spouse	Jane Fogel (teacher)
Children	Son(s)- 2 • Ethan Fogel • Sam Fogel Daughter- None
Parents	Father- Cubby Fogel (deceased) Mother- Malphine Fogel aka Mafa
Siblings	Brother- None Sister(s)- 2 • Lisa (works at AccountingDepartment.com) • Anne

Some Lesser Known Facts About Marc Fogel

Marc has a great interest in sports, especially football, and is a passionate fan of the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Marc Fogel while attending the 2018 FIFA World Cup, held in Russia

After graduating from Indiana University of Pennsylvania, he began working as a teacher.
A picture of Marc Fogel captured while he was teaching students

Fogel later married Jane, a fellow teacher, and they started teaching the children of American diplomats around the world. Together, they taught high school students in various countries, including Colombia, Malaysia, Oman, Russia, and Venezuela.
An old picture of Marc Fogel and Jane Fogel

Marc and Jane’s sons, Ethan and Sam, travelled with them to every country where they taught and studied at the same schools.

Marc and Jane spent nine years teaching at the Anglo-American School of Moscow. Their sons graduated from the same school and then returned to the US.
A picture of Marc Fogel and Jane Fogel with their sons from Sam Fogel’s convocation ceremony held at the Anglo-American School of Moscow in 2017

In 2021, Marc and Jane decided that their 10th year in Moscow would be Marc’s last, as he planned to retire after 36 years of teaching. He made this decision due to chronic pain in his back, knee, and shoulder caused by past surgeries and ongoing health issues.

On 14 August 2021, Marc was arrested at Moscow’s Sheremetyevo International Airport for carrying 17 grams of medical cannabis. It had been legally prescribed to him in the US to manage his chronic pain.

After Marc’s arrest, the US State Department reportedly advised his family to remain silent about the situation. The family followed this advice as they believed the government would take steps to secure his release. However, as time went on, there was no progress.

On 17 February 2022, American professional women’s basketball player Brittney Griner was arrested at the same airport as Marc for carrying vape cartridges with marijuana oil.
Brittney Griner while being escorted by police officials from a courtroom after a hearing in Khimki, Moscow, Russia

On 17 June 2022, a Russian court convicted Marc of drug trafficking and sentenced him to 14 years in prison. In October 2022, he was moved from a detention centre in Moscow to a penal colony in Rybinsk to serve his remaining sentence.

In mid-2022, Marc’s family reached out to Brittney while she was still detained, hoping she could advocate for Marc’s release since both faced similar charges in Russia.

In August 2022, senators from both the Democratic and Republican parties urged the State Department to declare Marc “wrongfully detained” to prioritise his release.

In 2022, a Change.org petition was started for Marc Fogel’s release. By 14 August 2024, it grew and crossed its 25,000-signature goal with about 25, 466 supporters.
The Change.org petition to release Marc Fogel

On 8 December 2022, Brittney Griner was freed in a high-profile US-Russia prisoner exchange. Marc’s family was disappointed as Marc was excluded from the exchange and his case had not received the same level of attention despite sharing similar circumstances.

On 26 June 2023, Representative Guy Reschenthaler introduced the ‘Marc Fogel Act’ to ensure the US government identifies and helps Americans detained abroad, like Marc, who have not been classified as wrongfully detained.

On 1 August 2024, National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan publically referred to Marc as “wrongfully detained” for the first time. While this declaration was an important step, it did not lead to immediate action for his release.

On 11 February 2025, Marc Fogel was released from a Russian prison after over 3.5 years following negotiations led by President Donald Trump.
Marc Fogel after being released from a Russian prison

Marc later returned to the US with Steve Witkoff, the United States Special Envoy to the Middle East who had participated in the discussions for his release. He was then welcomed at the White House by President Trump.
Marc Fogel (centre), along with Steve Witkoff (second from the left) and other officials, after returning to the US from Russia