Former University of Manitoba law dean arrested in France, faces extradition on fraud charge
Posted September 23, 2026 1:37 pm.
Police say a former law dean at the University of Manitoba is facing extradition on a fraud charge after he was arrested in France.
A Canada-wide arrest warrant was issued earlier this year for Jonathan Black-Branch, who was the law dean at the post-secondary institution from 2016 before leaving suddenly in 2020, on the charge of fraud over $5,000.
An internal investigation done by the university, based off a complaint, found Black-Branch misused and mismanaged more than $660,000 of the school’s funds for personal bills, pricey meals at a members-only club and personal education at Ivy League schools.
Black-Branch was disbarred by the Law Society of Manitoba in 2024 after the investigation.
Winnipeg police would not provide details relating to Black-Branch’s arrest, saying the matter is currently before the French court system.
Police say more information will be provided if the extradition application is successful and he is returned to Winnipeg.
