Latest news with #prisonbreak
Daily Mail
5 days ago
- Daily Mail
Baffled cops stumble upon fugitive inmate living normal life with his lover 30 years after prison escape
A California fugitive who broke out of prison more than 30 years ago was found quietly living with an ex-lover in the same area where he was first arrested. Ronald Keith Harvey, 79, escaped from Federal Correctional Institution (FCI) Dublin, where he was serving time for running a massive illegal marijuana operation, in 1994. 'He wasn't cultivating a small amount. He was arrested with 600 plus plants and firearms. So, it was a pretty big operation that he was running,' Deputy U.S. Marshal Cruz Moya, who has been handling Harvey's case, told ABC 7. There had been no trace of Harvey for decades - until the cops got a lead this year by conducting a data sweep and finding an address associated with the man on the run. This led officers about 150 miles away from the prison, located in Dublin, to a home in Nevada City, where the prison escapee was renting a room from a woman he dated casually 35 years ago. After years of freedom, living a peaceful life in the charming city just 60 miles northeast of Sacramento, Harvey was cuffed and detained once again on June 12, according to arrest records. But the police and his lover-turned-landlord, DeVee Brown, are stunned that Harvey was able to pull off this long-term prison break. 'It does happen. There are some people who are better than others at absconding justice and just going on the run,' Moya told ABC 7. Brown revealed she was oblivious to the fact that Harvey was a wanted man - she even checked with the Nevada County sheriff once a month to make sure there were no warrants out for him. And even though Harvey was evading the law, he never acted like it, Brown explained. 'I was very shocked, of course. He had his own room. He paid rent every month to me,' she said to ABC 7. Harvey remains at the Wayne Brown Correctional Facility in Nevada City. He still has four more years of his original sentence to serve, but he may have more time tacked on for fleeing. The notorious FCI Dublin was converted into a low-security all-female prison in 2012. But the prison shuttered in April 2024 as inmates accused guards of rampant sexual abuse. Former Hollywood madam Heidi Fleiss - who served three years of her tax evasion and money laundering charges at FCI Dublin from 1997 to 2000 - previously told it was common knowledge guards had sexual relationships with prisoners. Fleiss said she was shocked the prison is closing, but was not surprised the guard-on-inmate sexual abuses continued years after she did her time at Dublin because 'everyone knew it was happening all the time.' At least eight former employees have been charged with sexual abuse since 2021. Victims filed a class action lawsuit against the facility, which ended in a $115.8 million settlement allocated to the over 100 inmates who endured the abuse. Stars Felicity Huffman and Lori Laughlin each served brief stints at FCI Dublin for their involvement in a college admission scheme. The actresses came under fire when the FBI uncovered they were two of 50 parents involved in a cheating scandal to get their children into top colleges including Georgetown, Stanford, UCLA and Yale. It involved parents paying bribes of up to $6 million to get their children into elite schools. In many instances, the children were unaware that their parents had paid these tax-deductible bribes, according to federal documents. Most of those charged either paid to get higher SAT scores or faked an athletic resume that, with the participation of a bribed college coach, helped the children get accepted to a college as a team recruit. Huffman was ultimately sentenced two weeks at FCI Dublin in 2019 for paying $15,000 to have her daughter's SAT scores falsified. After was also fined $30,000 and ordered to complete 250 hours of community service upon her release. She was on probation for a year. Laughlin served two months at the facility in 2020 after she and her husband, fashion designer Mossimo Giannulli, pleaded guilty to paying $500,000 to get their two daughters into the University of Southern California as crew recruits, even though neither girl was a rower. The Full House star was also ordered to complete 100 hours of community service, pay a $150,000 fine and have two years of supervised release. Her husband served five months in prison, followed by two years of supervised release, 100 hours of community service and a $150,000 fine.
ABC News
14-06-2025
- ABC News
The 'Devil in the Ozarks' donned a makeshift uniform and walked out of prison — then went on the run
It appeared to be a relatively routine moment captured outside an Arkansas prison. An older man, dressed in a black uniform, black cap and a tactical vest pushes a heavy cart out of the front gate and across the bitumen. No one stops him. An officer monitoring the gate opens it, and he continues on his way. The day continues as normal. Except for one thing — the man seen in the grainy surveillance camera photo is not a prison guard. He's a convicted rapist, murderer and disgraced police chief dubbed the "Devil in the Ozarks", meant to be serving a decades-long sentence. The photo marks the beginning of his 12 days on the run. For decades, Grant Hardin hid in plain sight. The now-56-year-old had worked on and off as a police officer for most of his life, From 1990 to 1991 he worked in Fayetteville, Arkansas, before being fired from the department after just nine months. In his termination letter, it was noted he was 'indecisive' in stressful situations and had a 'tendency to not accept constructive criticism', according to local outlet 40/29 News. According to a former police sergeant, Hardin had failed key parts of the department's training program. 'The reports coming in from the [training officer] were not complimentary in Hardin's favour,' former sergeant Mark Hanna told 40/29 News. 'This guy [was] using police training because he doesn't want to be a good cop … he's wanting to be a good criminal. 'He's a true chameleon.' Hardin would go on to resign from police departments in Huntsville and Eureka Springs, where one former police chief noted Hardin allegedly used excessive force during arrests. Between 2008 and 2012 he was twice elected constable for Benton County. He served as police chief in the town of Gateway for four months in 2016. A Missouri Southern State University Outlet told media Hardin had attended classes on criminal justice and law enforcement between 2016 and 2017. By February 2017, he was working as a corrections officer at Northwest Arkansas Community Correction Centre in Fayetteville. It was then that he committed his first murder. On February 23, 2017, 59-year-old James Appleton pulled over to the side of the road in Gateway, on the phone with his brother-in-law. Resident John Bray was driving by when he saw Mr Appleton's pick-up and a white Chevrolet Malibu both parked by Gann Ridge Road. The Malibu's driver waved him on, Mr Bray said. 'I heard what I thought was someone had fired a rifle,' Mr Bray said later. Hardin has never given a reason as to why he shot and killed James Appleton that day. After being identified as the driver of the Malibu and charged with the killing, he ultimately pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 30 years in prison. But it would not be the last time Hardin would face the court room. When he was booked into the Arkansas Department of Corrections to begin his sentence, police took a DNA sample. The DNA came up a match for a decades-old cold case — the rape of a schoolteacher in the town of Rogers in 1997. On November 9, 1997, several hundred people were attending a church service at Frank Tillery Elementary School. The teacher, Amy Harrison, told police she went back to her classroom to clean up and organise lesson plans that morning. She said she left the classroom to go to the bathroom when she was confronted by a man in a stocking cap and sunglasses, carrying a pistol. Though she was able to give a description of her attacker, the case was never solved. In February 2019, the DNA match and subsequent investigation led to Hardin pleading guilty to raping Ms Harrison, who chose to publicly identify herself. He was sentenced to another 50 years in prison on top of his already decades-long sentence. Gateway Mayor Cheryl Tillman — the sister of murder victim James Appleton — attended court proceedings for both cases. Asked to describe the man responsible for her brother's death, she told media: "He is no good for society. Despite a collective sigh of relief among members of the Arkansas community, it would only be a few short years before Hardin would again be making headlines. Hardin had been housed in a maximum-security wing of the Calico Rock prison when he donned his makeshift uniform and walked out on May 25. Authorities have questioned whether a role working in the prison's kitchen had given him access to areas of the facility or tools which could have helped in his escape. As the hours passed, sightings started to come in — some from neighbouring counties and areas further south in Arkansas. Ms Tillman told media the escape left her "uneasy". "It was deja vu hitting all over again," she said, but said she was not entirely surprised. "It sounds like he was given free reign down there." Canine units, drones and officers from several different agencies began combing the wilderness surrounding the prison. Drivers were stopped on the motorways so their cars could be searched. But extreme weather conditions and Hardin's law enforcement background made it "trickier" for officers, according to Corrections Department spokesperson Rand Champion. A bloodhound tasked with tracking Hardin's scent followed him for less than 400 metres before heavy rain washed away the trail. "We've passed the 72-hour mark [and] since that time there's been a collective effort, state, federal, local," Mr Champion said. "Any and all leads we are getting have been followed up on. "One of the challenges that we have for this area is that it's very hilly, it's very rocky, there's a lot of places where it's very narrow to get [in and out]." A criminal complaint said Hardin could be "hiding in caves or rugged terrain" in the Ozarks. After almost a week of searching, an FBI reward for any information leading to Hardin's arrest was raised from $US10,000 ($15,415) to $US20,000 ($30,830). They also released an "updated" photo showing what Hardin "may look like" after nine days on the run — his prison mug shot edited to feature a salt and pepper beard. Residents in the area were urged to "stay vigilant", to lock their front doors and cars, and to report "any suspicious activity". "Public awareness and cooperation are crucial in efforts like this," Izard County Sheriff Charley Melton said. Hardin was recaptured just 2.4 kilometres from the prison gate he had first walked out of. After 12 days on the run, he was tackled by officers near Moccasin Creek, an area Rand Champion said they had struggled to search earlier. "The direction he went, specifically around Moccasin Creek, saw high water due to the abundance of rain in the last few weeks," Mr Champion said. "[This] more than likely limited his options to get around the area." Residents in the nearby town of Calico Rock told media they thought Hardin would be "long gone". The investigation into just how Hardin managed to escape a maximum security prison is ongoing. Prison chief Dexter Payne told the Arkansas Board of Corrections it was the first time in 35 years a prisoner had escaped. He said the escape was not a "policy issue" but a "personnel issue", referring to the officer who had opened the gate. "The thing [the gate guard] should have done is, make sure who it was," Mr Payne said. It was not clear whether any disciplinary action might be taken. For Cheryl Tillman, each passing day before Hardin's capture meant looking over her shoulder. "It was very hard to live day to day because you were always having to watch your back, turn around to see if somebody was behind you," she said. Hardin has since been transferred into a super-max facility, the Varner Unit, known for housing high-risk inmates. Benton County Prosecutor Bryan Sexton said Hardin's recapture meant "closure" for his victims. "By reputation, Varner is the most secure prison in the Arkansas system," he told local news outlet KY3. "I think that all things considering, putting him in the most secure facility we can is probably a wise thing to do."
CTV News
09-06-2025
- CTV News
Fugitive's girlfriend charged with aiding breakout at New Orleans jail where she once worked
Law enforcement search for a fugitive that escaped a prison in New Orleans, Wednesday, May 21, 2025. (Chris Granger/The Times-Picayune/The New Orleans Advocate via AP, File) NEW ORLEANS — Authorities arrested a former New Orleans jail employee on Monday and accused her of aiding in the 10-inmate breakout at the facility last month, which included an escape by her boyfriend — a convicted murderer. The former jail employee, Darriana Burton, 28, is one of at least 16 people arrested and accused of aiding the escape of the inmates on May 16. Authorities said only two remain at large: her boyfriend, Derrick Groves, and Antoine Massey, who is facing charges of rape, kidnapping and domestic battery. The group of inmates escaped by yanking open a faulty cell door, removing a toilet, crawling through a hole and scaling a barbed wire fence in the early morning hours when a lone guard left to get food. Two days before the escape, Groves made a FaceTime video call to Burton using a jail-issued iPad. During that call, she helped him speak with a man who police did not identify. The conversation was 'intentionally vague' and appeared to coordinate communication on other, unmonitored lines, according to a police affidavit for Burton's arrest. In another call shortly after, the same man warned Groves against escaping, saying it would be a 'bad move' that would trigger a manhunt. He told Groves to seek release via the judicial system. The exchange showed Burton's direct role in helping with Groves' escape, according to the arrest affidavit. Burton faces a felony charge for conspiracy to commit simple escape. According to other police reports, Burton also allegedly 'picked up' and transported another fugitive, Lenton Vanburen, to a relative's home during his escape. Burton began working at the jail in 2022 and was fired the following year after she was arrested on allegations of bringing a folding knife and a bag of Cheetos containing tobacco and marijuana into the jail. The charges were dropped in part due to her lack of criminal history, and she 'successfully completed' a pretrial diversion program, the Orleans Parish District Attorney's Office told The Associated Press. 'I categorically deny any involvement in introducing contraband into the jail or assisting in any escape,' Burton said May 30 in a text message to The Associated Press. 'These allegations are false and I intend to fully defend myself through the proper legal channels.' Agents with the Louisiana Bureau of Investigation and the U.S. Marshals Service coordinated Burton's arrest after obtaining a warrant on May 27. She was taken into custody in the Plaquemines Parish jail, authorities said. Burton and Groves 'were in an on-again, off-again relationship for three years,' dating back to the time when she was still working in the jail, authorities said. 'We will continue to pursue anyone and everyone who has aided and abetted these criminals. We will find you, arrest you, and prosecute you to the full extent of the law,' Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill said in a statement. 'We will arrest all aiders and abettors, and we will eventually get Antoine Massey and Derrick Groves back to prison where they belong.' Jack Brook, The Associated Press
Yahoo
08-06-2025
- Yahoo
Fraudster on the run after absconding from prison
Police are searching for a convict who has absconded from an open prison in Derbyshire. Derbyshire Police said Paul Haughey left HMP Sudbury, near Ashbourne, between 11:00 BST and midday on Sunday. The force described the 40-year-old, who was serving a nine-month sentence for fraud and theft offences, as white, about 5ft 9in (1.75m) tall, of medium build, with grey hair. He was last seen wearing grey tracksuit bottoms, a dark grey lightweight bomber jacket and black trainers, officers said. Anyone who sees the prisoner is urged to call the police. Follow BBC Derby on Facebook, on X, or on Instagram. Send your story ideas to eastmidsnews@ or via WhatsApp on 0808 100 2210. Derbyshire Police HMP Sudbury
Yahoo
08-06-2025
- Yahoo
The Escape at Dannemora: 10 Years Later
DANNEMORA, NY (WVNY/WFFF) It's been 10 years since the notorious Dannemora prison break that thrust the North Country into the national spotlight. Most of the world doesn't know the small town of Dannemora, New York, home to Clinton Correctional Facility, even exists. On the morning of June 6, 2015, that changed. Charlie Lawfer was a corrections officer at Clinton Correctional, at the time. 'I was working the midnight shift; I was C block. (It was) just a normal night, you know. Me and my partner, Josh. Nothing crazy happened all night, said Lawer, now a Sheriff's deputy in Manatee County, Florida. 'At about 5:30, I think, in the morning, somewhere around there, a sergeant came in, said we had to do a standing live count, which is rare because this doesn't happen. He said there was an escape. Two convicted murderers were missing from their cells. Clinton County Sheriff, David Favro, recalls that morning, 'Getting that call at 7 o'clock in the morning was surreal. It's like, 'No, they just miscounted, they're in the kitchen, they're doing a duty somewhere. They're not out there in the community.' Lawfer said it became an all hands-on deck situation at the prison, as officers scrambled to locate the two men. 'We figured they wouldn't be too far Honestly; I figured we'd find them within an hour. Before that I never thought in a million years that anybody would escape from that prison,' said Lawfer According to then governor, Andrew Cuomo, nobody ever had escaped from Dannemora's maximum security portion of the prison. 'The facility opened in 1865, so this is quite an unusual occurrence,' said Cuomo. Richard Matt, 48, was serving 25-years-to-life for kidnapping and beating a man to death, in 1997. David Sweat, 35, was serving a life sentence for killing a Broome County sheriff's deputy, in 2002. Both men had, in fact, tunneled their way out of their cells, through steel walls, steam pipes, and eventually through the drainage system, to a manhole cover, just a few blocks away from the prison. As the day developed, it became clear that this was not just some little thing. This was two really scary dudes who had broken out of the maximum-security prison,' said Television News Anchor, George Mallet. All of a sudden, Dannemora, New York was in the world's spotlight. 'Everyone converged onto Plattsburgh and the North Country. You couldn't drive down the street without seeing a media truck, or police or checkpoints. They were everywhere ,' said Freelance Journalist, Heather Van Arsdel, Freelance Journalist. 'They were everywhere, and there were satellite trucks almost permanently placed at the courthouses. With all the world watching, the folks in our other quiet community were now in unfamiliar territory. 'There were a lot of people that were scared in the community. Several of them called us up, especially elderly women that had firearms in the house, their husbands had recently passed and said 'I have this shot gun or I have a handgun. I don't know how to load it. I don't know how to use it. Could you send someone up to show me?' said Favro. People were really scared, and honestly, I don't blame them. If you look at the back story on the two guys, both murderers, both really bad guys, and now they're running around in the North Country,' said Lawfer. 'If people weren't scared, then they were misinformed and they should've been scared' 'It was absolutely terrifying for the residents, especially if you lived near the prison, which are a lot of rural houses, and somebody's back yard might have 10 acres of woods behind them. They were absolutely terrified, and they had every right to be,' said Van Arsdel. For 20 days, more than 1,000 law enforcement officials, from all over the state, followed lead after lead, combed countless acres of land, checked thousands of cars at checkpoints, tirelessly searching for any clues in the case. A big break occurred on June 26 when Richard Matt was found just outside of Malone. A shooting took place with police, which lead to his death. Two days later, a chance encounter between David Sweat and then NYS Police Trooper, Jay Cook. ((***SOT***))(JAY COOK – FRANKLIN COUNTY SHERIFF, RETIRED NEW YORK STATE TROOPER) 'I was patrolling on Covey Town Road and I saw a suspect walking down a stone wall in an alfalfa field when it was raining out,' said Cook. Cook said he knew something wasn't right, so he initiated contact. 'He ended up taking his hood down and showing me his face, probably trying to bluff me or whatever, and that's when I realized it was actually him,' said Cook. Within seconds, Sweat took off. Cook followed on foot, commanding Sweat to stop or he would shoot. 'Stop or I'm going to shoot. He didn't stop , so that's what ended it,' said Cook. 'He went down and we got him in custody and got him medical care. That's how quickly it happened, just like that.' Just like that, the weeks-long manhunt came to an end. Miraculously, no civilian or law enforcement officers were injured. As hundreds of police, investigators and officials hit the road back to their home communities, local focus turned to those charged with helping the inmates escape. Ultimately, Joyce Mitchell, the prison taylor shop worker that was charged with smuggling tools into the prison for Matt and Sweat's escape served just over 4 years of her 3 to 7 year sentence. She was released in 202 and is said to still be living in Dickinson Center with her husband, Lyle. Corrections Officer Gene Palmer, also charged with helping Matt and Sweat, served 4 months of his six-month sentence and was released in 2016. Reports show David Sweat is behind bars at Mid-State Correctional Facility, serving out a life sentence. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
