San Francisco Man Escaped a Merced County Prison 8 Years Ago. He's Back With New Charges.

By Anthony W. Haddad

Published 5 months ago on

December 5, 2024

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.

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.

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.

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.

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Anthony W. Haddad,

Multimedia Journalist

Anthony W. Haddad, who graduated from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo with his undergraduate degree and has an MBA at Fresno State, is the Swiss Army knife of GV Wire. He writes stories, manages social media, and represents the organization on the ground.