Federal Prisoner Captured After Escaping from Halfway House

CONCORD – A former New York man has been arrested and charged after escaping from the Hampshire House Residential Reentry Center in Manchester, U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young announces.

Michael Villanueva, 43, was charged with escaping from federal custody.  Villanueva was arrested yesterday in the Manchester area and will make an initial appearance in federal court today at 11:30 a.m.

According to the charging documents, Villanueva was previously sentenced to 10 years of imprisonment for conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, namely heroin and cocaine base.  In June 2023, he was transferred by the Bureau of Prisons from the federal facility in Allenwood, Pennsylvania to Hampshire House.  At Hampshire House, he was allowed house arrest and wore an electronic GPS monitoring ankle bracelet.

On January 10, 2024, Villanueva was told to report to Hampshire House after authorities found inappropriate messages in his phone.  That evening, at 6:41 pm, the Bureau of Prisons received an alert that Villanueva’s GPS monitoring ankle bracelet had been tampered with.  Villanueva did not return to Hampshire House. He was at large for three weeks before being captured.

The charge of escape provides for a sentence of up to 5 years in prison.  Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

U.S. Marshals Service led the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander S. Chen is prosecuting the case.

The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

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