Wells Escapes Justice, Gets One Year

ALEXANDRIA, VA – A repeat offender with a history of sexual crimes is back behind bars after attempting to vanish from federal custody. Theodore Wells, 59, formerly of Washington, D.C., received a one-year prison sentence today for escaping, a brazen act that exposed flaws in the Bureau of Prisons’ transitional program.

Wells initially ran afoul of the law in October 2013 when he was convicted of failing to register as a sex offender – a critical requirement for public safety. He was subsequently sentenced to a federal prison in New Jersey. As his sentence neared completion in January 2016, authorities deemed him eligible for a transfer to a residential reentry center in Baltimore, Maryland, allowing him limited, unescorted travel. That trust was shattered when Wells simply didn’t show up.

Instead of reporting to the Baltimore facility, Wells disappeared. The Bureau of Prisons quickly realized the error and launched a manhunt. The fugitive didn’t remain on the run for long. He was apprehended less than a week later, holed up at a public library in Fairfax, Virginia, attempting to blend into the anonymity of the everyday. It was a pathetic attempt at freedom for a man already facing a significant legal burden.

Wells pleaded guilty to the federal charge of escape on August 15, 2016, acknowledging his deliberate attempt to evade the system. The case highlights the ongoing challenges of managing and monitoring convicted sex offenders, even those nearing the end of their sentences. The Bureau of Prisons’ decision to allow unescorted travel, given Wells’s prior offense, is now under scrutiny.

The announcement of the sentencing came jointly from Dana J. Boente, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Robert Mathieson, U.S. Marshal for the Eastern District of Virginia. Senior U.S. District Judge Claude M. Hilton handed down the one-year sentence, a relatively light punishment considering the seriousness of the offense and Wells’s history.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander P. Berrang led the prosecution. Court documents related to the case, including Case No. 1:16-cr-155, are available on the U.S. Attorney’s Office website for the Eastern District of Virginia and through the PACER system. This case serves as a stark reminder that escaping justice is rarely successful, and those who attempt it will ultimately face the consequences.