HARTFORD, CT – Hector Santiago, 29, entered a guilty plea for escaping federal custody, as confirmed during proceedings in Hartford federal court. This admission comes after Santiago’s failure to return to a halfway house where he was completing his sentence for a prior narcotics trafficking conviction.
Santiago was originally sentenced to 69 months in prison on November 18, 2019, for narcotics trafficking. On June 23, he was transferred to the Drapelick Center, a Residential Reentry Center in Bloomfield, to finish his sentence. However, Santiago absconded from the facility on September 27, leading to his arrest in Hartford on February 9. Since his apprehension, Santiago has remained in custody.
The court has yet to schedule a sentencing hearing, where Santiago could face up to five years in prison for his escape.