A federal jury in Portland, Oregon, has found Brandon Charles Nelson, 40, guilty of escape after he failed to report to the Northwest Regional Re-entry Center (NWRRC) as required.
Court documents show that Nelson was previously convicted for being a felon in possession of a firearm and received a sentence of 36 months in prison followed by 36 months of supervised release. After violating his release conditions for the third time, his supervision was revoked on February 25, 2025. He was then sentenced to an additional 12 months in prison and 18 months of supervised release.
While at Victorville Federal Corrections Institute (FCI), Nelson became eligible for placement at a residential re-entry center and was referred to the NWRRC. He was approved for unescorted travel and instructed to report no later than November 20, 2025. Nelson did not report as directed. The facility reported him as an escapee to the United States Marshals Service (USMS) on November 21, 2025. The USMS arrested him without incident on December 5, 2025.
On December 16, 2025, a federal grand jury indicted Nelson on charges of escape from custody.
Nelson faces up to five years in prison, a $250,000 fine, and three years of supervised release. Sentencing is scheduled for June 8, 2026 before a U.S. District Court judge.
The USMS conducted the investigation while Assistant U.S. Attorney Arin Heinz prosecuted the case.
Scott Bradford serves as U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon and has held roles such as Chief of the White Collar Unit and Acting Chief of the Counterintelligence and Export Control Section (official website). The office maintains locations in Portland, Eugene and Medford (official website), employs over one hundred staff members (official website), operates under the Department of Justice alongside other offices nationwide (official website), engages in community outreach efforts across Oregon (official website), and aims to represent the United States in civil and criminal matters while building trust within the federal judicial system (official website).
