John Eric Williams, Escape from Halfway House, Florida 2017

Jacksonville Man Sentenced to Prison for Escape from Halfway House

Jacksonville, Florida – In a shocking turn of events, John Eric Williams, a 49-year-old resident of Jacksonville, was sentenced to three years and four months in federal prison for escaping from custody at a Jacksonville halfway house.

According to court documents, Williams was serving a 70-month sentence in federal prison for stealing a firearm from a licensed firearms dealer and for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon.

Williams signed a written acknowledgement of the rules of the halfway facility, which included the consequences for failing to remain at the facility, including potential prosecution for any escape. However, on July 14, 2017, Williams walked away from the halfway house and was listed as an escapee.

In an attempt to locate Williams, the halfway house officials called his friends and relatives, local hospitals, and local jails, but were unsuccessful. Williams never returned to the halfway house and was eventually arrested on August 10, 2017, by the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office on unrelated charges.

This case was investigated by the United States Marshals Service and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ashley Washington. With Williams’ guilty plea on August 21, 2018, the sentencing process was able to move forward.

As a result of the sentencing, Williams will now serve an additional three years and four months in prison, consecutive to the remaining portion of his 70-month sentence. This means that Williams will spend a total of 85 months in prison, bringing an end to his attempt to evade justice.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-mdfl/pr/jacksonville-man-sentenced-more-three-additional-years-prison-escape-halfway-house