Page 11 - IAV Digital Magazine #444

iAV - Antelope Valley Digital Magazine
Escaped Inmate Caught Sneaking Back With Booze, Food
By Joshua Rhett Miller
An inmate escaped from a federal prison in Texas in an effort to bring back a stash of goods that included booze, tobacco and a large amount of home-cooked food, authorities said.
Joshua Hansen, 25, of Dallas, was arrested late Wednesday by US Marshals and deputies in Jefferson County after authorities were alerted that inmates from a federal prison in Beaumont were escaping from the rear of the facility and crossing onto private land owned by a local rancher.
The inmates, according to the tip, were picking up contraband and taking it back into the facility, sheriff officials said.
After setting up a surveillance operation at about 5:45 p.m., police watched a vehicle drive onto a neighbor- ing property before leaving behind a large
duffel bag.
About two hours later, an inmate — later identi- fied as Hansen — was spotted sprinting from the prison and grabbing the bag. He was collared as he ran back toward the prison.
Inside the bag was a veritable trove of good- ies, including
three bottles of brandy, a bottle of whiskey, dozens of pack- ages of tobac- co, packaged snacks, fruit and a large amount of home-cooked food, including sausages, chicken, rice and vegetables, according to photographs released by sheriff’s officials.
Hansen, who
was imprisoned on narcotics charges, was booked into the Jefferson County Jail on charges of escape and possession of marijuana. A federal hold has also been placed on Hansen, accord- ing to Capt. Crystal Holmes.
Jefferson County Sheriff’s
Deputy Marcus McLellan told the Beaumont Enterprisethat the arrest high- lights a growing problem of con- traband smug- gled into the prison by inmates — who have walked off the facility “pret- ty much since Day 1” to pick up banned items and bring them back to their cells.
iAV - Antelope Valley Digital Magazine