Fresno Man Indicted for Escape

FRESNO, Calif. — A federal grand jury returned a one-count indictment today against Doroteo Gonzales, 28, of Fresno, charging him with escape, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.

According to court documents, in October 2021 Gonzalez was sentenced to federal prison after a conviction for being a felon in possession of a firearm. On Jan. 9, 2023, Gonzalez was transferred to the Turning Point Residential Reentry Center (RRC) in Fresno to finish serving his sentence. On Jan. 23, 2023, two weeks after Gonzalez arrived at the RRC, staff discovered that Gonzales was not present while conducting a count of the RRC’s residents. Gonzales was not authorized to leave the RRC and was not scheduled to be released until months later on April 11, 2023. The RRC Staff conducted a search of the facility and contacted local hospitals and jails attempting to locate Gonzales but were unsuccessful in locating him. Gonzalez is currently in federal custody.

This case is the product of an investigation by the U.S. Marshals Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Arin C. Heinz is prosecuting the case.

If convicted, Gonzales faces a maximum statutory penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.