Jake Rupert, a 40-year-old resident of Lexington, has been sentenced to two years in federal prison after pleading guilty to escaping from a federal residential re-entry facility. The incident occurred on March 5, 2024, when Rupert left a halfway house in Columbia without authorization.
Rupert had been residing at the halfway house since January 2024 as part of his transition from the Federal Bureau of Prisons. This was meant to conclude the final six months of a 96-month custodial sentence he received in 2017 for being a felon in possession of a firearm and possessing a firearm with an obliterated serial number.
Authorities located Rupert inside a residence in Gaston on May 27, 2024. He was apprehended by deputies from the Lexington County Sheriff’s Department. As well as serving the remainder of his original sentence, Rupert faced federal charges for escape.
Senior United States District Judge Cameron McGowan Currie imposed a sentence of 24 months imprisonment on Rupert. This will be followed by three years of court-ordered supervision. It is noted that there is no parole available within the federal system.
The investigation into this case was conducted by the United States Marshals Service, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Lexington County Sheriff’s Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Stacey D. Haynes prosecuted the case.
