A Minnesota man has been sentenced to 18 months in federal prison following his escape from the Gerald R. Hinzman Center. Joshua Taylor Watson, 35, from Rochester, Minnesota, pleaded guilty on June 10, 2024, to one count of escape from federal custody.
During the plea hearing, Watson acknowledged that he was held at the Hinzman Center under a federal court order related to a previous conviction for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. On January 22, 2024, he left the facility without authorization and failed to return. Authorities located and arrested him in Rochester on January 25, 2024.
United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams sentenced Watson in Cedar Rapids. In addition to his prison term, Watson will serve a three-year supervised release period post-incarceration. The federal system does not allow parole.
Watson remains in United States Marshal’s custody until his transfer to a federal prison is arranged.
Assistant United States Attorney Adam J. Vander Stoep prosecuted the case with investigations conducted by the United States Marshals Service and the Northern Iowa Fugitive Task Force.