SandyMaloneBeaumont, TX – A federal inmate was caught sneaking back into a federal prison with a bag full of food, booze, and drugs on Wednesday.
Law enforcement was tipped off that inmates had been getting out of the facility by a nearby rancher who reported it to the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office (JCSO), KDVR reported.
Authorities set up surveillance on Jan. 24, and shortly thereafter, around 7:30 p.m., they saw a truck pull onto the private property and drop a large bag.
Then police watched Joshua Hansen, 25, running from the prison grounds. Hansen was housed on the low-risk side of the federal facility, which may have made it easier for him to escape, according to KTRK.
Hansen, who was in prison on narcotics charges, grabbed the bag of contraband goodies and headed back to the prison. That’s when JCSO deputies and U.S. Marshals nabbed him.
“As he grabbed everything and he was headed back over to the unit, they swooped in and apprehended him,” said JCSO’s public information officer, Deputy Marcus McLellan.
Deputy McLellan told KTRK Hansen was likely bring the booty into the prison to use to pay for favors from other inmates.
Police said they found three bottles of brandy, one bottle of whiskey, multiple bags of Buglar tobacco, prepackaged snacks, and a large amount of home-cooked food, including BBQ sausage and fried chicken, packed into the bag, KDVR reported.
Hansen was also transporting marijuana back into the prison, police said.
Deputy McLellan wasn’t aware of any plans to improve prison security at this time, despite the fact that neighboring ranchers have reported numerous inmates making food runs in their fields. The prisoners currently have to climb fences with barbed wires to the drop point.
He said all security improvement decisions are in the hands of the Federal Bureau of Prisons.