Part 6/8:
Eventually escaping to France, McGregor faced accusations and briefly went to jail. However, he managed to persuade the courts of his innocence and continued his con artistry, though with somewhat diminished success. The financial panic of 1825 proved to be the final nail in the coffin for his schemes as public trust diminished and investors began to seek safer grounds.
Despite the chaos left in his wake, McGregor would spend his remaining years living off a military pension in Venezuela, adopting the title of “Prince of Poyais,” forever cemented in history as one of the most ambitious conmen of his time.