A San Francisco man has been indicted after escaping from U.S. Penitentiary Atwater in Merced County and evading capture for eight years. (Wikipedia)
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After nearly eight years on the run, a San Francisco man was indicted by a federal grand jury in Fresno for escaping custody, the DOJ announced Thursday afternoon.
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Eric Pree, 55, vanished from U.S. Penitentiary Atwater in Merced County on Jan. 29, 2017, where he was serving a 101-month sentence for wire fraud and identity theft after a 2012 conviction.
Authorities arrested him in Walnut Creek this October, ending his lengthy time as a fugitive.
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When investigators caught up with Pree, they discovered he’d been busy.
He had several cellphones, ID cards, credit and debit cards in different peoples’ names, multiple driver’s licenses, and even a fake Harvard University student ID.
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Now back in federal custody, Pree facies new charges for his escape. If convicted, he could see up to five more years behind bars and a $250,000 fine, the DOJ said in a statement.
