Concord, NH – Michael Villanueva, a 43-year-old former resident of New York, has been apprehended and faces charges for escaping from the Hampshire House Residential Reentry Center in Manchester, as announced by U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young. Villanueva, who was charged with escaping from federal custody, was arrested in the Manchester area and is slated for an initial federal court appearance today at 11:30 a.m.
Official records indicate that Villanueva was serving a 10-year sentence for conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, including heroin and cocaine base. In June 2023, he was transferred from a federal facility in Allenwood, Pennsylvania, to Hampshire House, where he was placed under house arrest with an electronic GPS monitoring ankle bracelet.
On January 10, 2024, after authorities discovered inappropriate messages on his phone, Villanueva was instructed to return to Hampshire House. However, later that evening, at 6:41 p.m., the Bureau of Prisons was alerted to tampering with Villanueva’s GPS monitoring device. Villanueva failed to return as directed and remained at large for three weeks until his recent capture.
The escape charge against Villanueva carries a potential sentence of up to 5 years in prison. Sentencing will be determined by a federal district court judge, taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and applicable statutes.