New Britain Man Sentenced to 15 Months in Prison for Escaping from Hartford Halfway House

Deirdre M. Daly, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that JAMES SCOTT, 37, formerly of New Britain, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Alvin W. Thompson in Hartford to 15 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for escaping from a Hartford halfway house.

According to court documents and statements made in court, on February 20, 2009, SCOTT received a federal sentence of 121 months of imprisonment for conspiring to distribute, and distributing, crack cocaine.  On June 30, 2015, he was transferred from a federal prison to the Watkinson House Residential Reentry Center in Hartford to complete his sentence.  At the time of his transfer to the Watkinson House RRC, SCOTT had a projected release date of December 26, 2015.

On August 14, 2015, SCOTT signed out from the Watkinson House RRC to conduct a job search, but did not return.  He was apprehended on October 5 in Hartford by the U.S. Marshals Service and returned to custody.

On October 19, 2015, SCOTT pleaded guilty to one count of escape from federal custody.

This matter was investigated by the U.S. Marshals Service and the Hartford Police Department, and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Geoffrey M. Stone.