‘The Fly’ has become notorious in France after a brazen escape. What’s his criminal history?

By THOMAS ADAMSON
Associated Press

PARIS (AP) — A 30-year-old prisoner nicknamed “The Fly” has become notorious in France overnight after a daring and bloody escape from a prison convoy in Normandy that left two guards dead. Mohamed Amra has a long and violent criminal history that has now culminated in a high-profile search. Amra was born in Rouen and had a colorful adolescence marked by early run-ins with the law. The Paris public prosecutor says Amra’s first offenses occurred between the ages of 11 and 14. They involved violence, theft and extortion. He grew up in a troubled environment in Normandy and he quickly became entangled in a life of crime.