SWIFT CURRENT – Ricky Manz, 59, of Richmound, a QAnon supporter who was charged with assault in October, appeared in Leader Circuit Court on Jan. 18 on a new charge of failing to appear in court.
A warrant for his arrest had been issued in November 2023 after he failed to appear in court. Saskatchewan RCMP have confirmed with SASKTODAY.ca that Ricky Manz was arrested on Nov. 24, 2023, at the Leader RCMP Detachment and given a court date for Jan. 18, 2024. He did appear in Leader Circuit Court Thursday. Leader Circuit Court is under Swift Current Provincial Court's jurisdiction.
Manz owns the abandoned school in Richmound where QAnon self-proclaimed leader Romana Didulo and her supporters camped out.
On Oct. 7, Leader RCMP received a report of an assault in Richmound. The police investigation determined there was an altercation between two men and one man assaulted the other one. No injuries were reported. Leader RCMP and Saskatchewan RCMP’s General Investigation Section had investigated and arrested Manz in Richmound on Oct. 11.
Didulo posted on Telegram on Oct. 11 that Rick Manz was missing. She then posted on Oct. 12 that she received a text message from "His Excellency Rick Manz" and the Swift Current RCMP were driving him home to Richmound.
Didulo and her group left Richmound in mid-November and went to a nearby farm. They have since returned.
Richmound residents have held numerous protests trying to force them out of their community. Didulo and her group have taken over an abandoned school and local residents say their children don’t feel safe playing on the nearby playground.
Richmound has a population of about 147. It is about 445 kilometres west of Regina, and about 80 kilometres from Medicine Hat, Alta.
Story updated to say Saskatchewan RCMP have confirmed with SASKTODAY.ca that Ricky Manz was arrested on Nov. 24, 2023, at the Leader RCMP Detachment and given a court date for Jan. 18, 2024.
This report by SASKTODAY first published on Jan.18, 2024.
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