JEFFERSON COUNTY, Texas – A 25-year-old federal inmate was caught attempting to pick up contraband and bring it back into a federal complex in Beaumont.
Deputies learned that inmates were escaping from the back side of the facility, crossing onto private land and picking up goods to bring back into the facility.
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The owner of the private land said this has been happening for years, according to reports.
Jefferson County Sheriff's Office Narcotics Investigators and the U.S. Marshals Service set up surveillance around 5:45 p.m. Wednesday and spotted a vehicle entering the private property and dropping off a large duffel bag, authorities said.
At about 7:30 p.m., inmate Joshua Hansen ran from the prison grounds and grabbed the duffel bag, according to authorities.
As Hansen, 25, was running back toward the prison, deputies arrested him.
The duffel bag contained three bottles of brandy, one bottle of whiskey, multiple bags of Bugler tobacco, packaged snacks, fruit, a large amount of home-cooked food and over 35 grams of marijuana, according to authorities.
Authorities said Hansen was in prison on narcotics charges. He was booked into the Jefferson County Jail on changes of escape and possession of marijuana. There was also a federal hold on him.
The investigation is ongoing.